The Plight of Princess Ursa
by proudinfidel
Summary: Ursa's flight to the EK starting with her murder of Azulon.  Explains relationship between Iroh and Zuko. Ursa and Iroh have an extramarital affair. Ursroh.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings fellow Avatards! Well I finally did it. I started on my own Ursa story beginning with her murder of Azulon to her meeting someone very important (Ahem, Dragon of the West Anyone?) outside Ba Sing Se. Rated T for safety. No lemons, but definitely some references to sex and even mild physical abuse. I always imagined Ozai to be the worst husband ever, and you will see that reflected in this story in a way I think the cartoon was unable to do due to the K-7 rating.**

**A couple of things about Ursa: she is a lot like Lady Macbeth. If this woman fascinates you consider reading the Shakespeare play MACBETH, or at least google the "Out Damned Spot Speech." I borrowed from that speech in order to bring you the scene in the rowboat (you'll see what I'm talking about). She is a very mysterious character, which is part of her appeal, so I took a lot of liberties with her. I also made up a new form of firebending that Ursa uses here (Do the words "1 2 3 CLEAR!" mean anything to anyone?)**

**At any rate, please enjoy and tell me if you want me to continue. **

The Plight of Princess Ursa

Ursa had never considered herself a killer. Never imagined herself to have the very potential, and now suddenly she was transforming before her eyes from the demure princess who endured a loveless marriage and physical abuse for the sake of her family's honor into a seething murderess.

She sat down at her vanity and studied her tear streaked face. She had seen her face a thousand times, and yet something about the way she appeared tonight was profoundly different. She leaned forward, looking into her own eyes.

Could they really be hers?

For in them she saw something primal, something born of both necessity and cruelty, a something that was unsexing her before her very eyes...and yet delivering her to the very essence of what it meant to be a mother.

And suddenly she knew how she would do it.

No knives, no weapons...nothing that would leave any scars or traces... and certainly no poisen.

No. She wanted the satisfaction. She wanted to lay her hands upon him and use them to take his very life from him... A smile came to her lips as she chose her method. It was perfect, flawless, and it would leave no trace of attack. It would be her divine vengeance for the threat upon her son.

Azulon was old. She could wield her art and produce no mark. The physician would look at him and determine that his heart had simply stopped, he had incured a natural death...and yet, she would have satisfaction, Zuko would be safe...and Ozai would have the throne.

A lump formed in her throat. She wasn't so sure about that last one being a good thing. She would much rather Iroh...

Her heart fluttered a little at the thought of the kind older brother with whom, against all odds and her better judgement, she had fallen in love. She bit her trembling lip and shook her head, willing her mind to be free of her thoughts. _When in your life have you ever reasonably expected happiness Ursa? It has never been about happiness, always about duty. Marrying Ozai: duty. Hiding the bruises with ochre and makeup: duty. Saying nothing when the servants snuck in maidens to Ozai's bedchamber from conquered villages: duty. And tonight? _She shook a tear from her eye._ Tonight was simply about being a mother._

She rose from her vanity and strode with determined stealth down the palace halls.

Her thoughts slowed when she reached the great doors of the Fireloard's bedchamber, and she paused to watch the torchlight dance across the elegantly carved wooden doors. She was aware of the cool marble against her feet and the warmth of her blood cascading through her veins, the blood of a mother turned murderer.

And then she gently parted the doors.

The old man was awake in his bed.

He looked at her with glaring eyes and opened his mouth to speak.

A thin stream of lightning, tiny, precise, and deadly, emitted from Ursa's right index finger, striking him neatly in the heart and shocked it into a rhythm that his body could not sustain for long.

He could only watch with gaping eyes as the Princess climbed onto his bed. "You will sign this" she told the Firelord. "You will sign this immediately, and then I will remedy your heart," she lied.

His eyes seemed to agree with her, so she shocked him again. So skilled was she in this form of firebending, the only real type she practiced, that she could free or paralyze certain parts of the body without leaving a mark. In a time before technology, it had been useful. She had been proclaimed a healer hearts. She was also skilled at resolving neurological deficits, since these two systems, she had discovered, seemed to run on electricity. It was the first time she had used her talent for darker purposes, and she was in that moment, able to use it so perfectly that only his right arm could move.

He spread a weak signature across the parchment.

Satisfied with the old man's final act, Ursa laid her hand over the man's heart and completed her dark deed.

####

"It is done," she told Ozai later after saying goodbye to her children. She handed him the parchment.

The Prince unfurled it, and a dark smile spread across his lips. It declared him the sucessor.

"I have done what you were not man enough to do, now you keep your end of the bargain!" she bit out . She would never see her husband again, if she could even call him that, and she could not resist having the last word. It flowed like sweet, divine vengeance off her lips, justice for a life of suffering and strife.

Ozai allowed her the last word, but he by the spirits would have the last blow. And he did; with a smoldering firebent ring he branded her right cheek.

Ursa collapsed on the floor, gasping for a moment. She brought a hand up to the right side of her face and fingered the smoldering brand. All of her wanted to take his life. She had already done it once this evening, why not once more?

But her thoughts of Zuko stopped her. She stood slowly and glared at him with her golden eyes. "Just make good on your promise. Do not harm my son!" she hissed, and she ran out of the palace.

# # # # #

She had shocked him, not drawn blood. So why did her hands look so red in the moonlight? Why did they seem crimson and tainted? She dipped them in the water and the small canoe rocked a little at her frantic cleansing.

The servant escorting her to Roku's island noticed her obsessive cleansing and at long last said something: "Princess, please, I'm certain your hands are clean by now."

Ursa stopped, suddenly realizing the foolishness of her actions, jolted into reality by what he had just called her: "Princess."

Her saliva was acrid in her throat. "Don't...Don't call me 'Princess..'" she stammered, looking up at him through tear stained eyes.

He returned her gaze, confused, genuinely wanting to help her but unsure of how to remedy whatever madness had taken hold of her. Servants of the Fire Nation were loyal to a fault. He had been told to take her to the temple at Roku's island, and nothing else. It is unlikely he knew of the events that transpired that night and probably would never know the full story. It wouldn't do to tell him either..the less he knew, the better for him and his family.

Ursa's gaze fell, and she spied an extra oar in the rowboat. She picked it up and slowly, determinedly, began to row.

"Princess, I must protest."

Ursa looked up at him, her gaze half threatening. "Please, do not call me 'Princess.' I am no Princess..." Her gaze fell again, and she suddenly went from half threatening to weak and vulnerable in the moonlight. "Not anymore..." Her rowing became steady and effective.

And suddenly her actions became very meaningful to her servant.

He turned and joined her in her task. He would not speak to her again, he decided. But he would help in the only way he could: by rowing and silently murmuring prayers to the spirits and the Almighty Universe, God of all, to ease this poor woman's suffering.

At length they reached Roku's island and the temple of the past Avatar. There a fire sage named Shyla met her at the docks and escorted her to a small room of the temple for the night. "In the morning one of the war ships will take you to the edges of the Earth Kingdom." he told her as she settled in. "What you do from there is your own destiny. " He strode towards her and handed her a bag of pure gold coins, "But no matter what Princess, I wish you the best of luck, and all the happiness in the world. For we shall miss you here in the Fire Nation."

Ursa couldn't help but smile at him and the others who seemed so accomodating. She silently wondered how much they knew of what had transpired that night, but at length decided it probably wasn't much.

Her last thought before darkness fell was that this was the last time she would ever sleep in her native land.

#####

The voyage to the Earth Kingdom was uneventful. Ursa spent most of her time at the bow of the war ship, watching the vessel cut through the waves, lost in her thoughts. Her sorrow was of course ever present, but at least the red had vanished from her hands and something else stirred in her, a something prompted by the feeling of the wind tossling her hair and robes: freedom. It was a strange and exhilerating sensation, unlike anything she had felt, and the salt in the air amplified it.

She was embarking on a great adventure, a new life, or at least she could...but despite all of this great possibility, a concern from her old life still haunted her. Zuko. She didn't trust Ozai. How could she after everything she had been through with him?

But still, what could she do? Surely everything that could be done had been done. Had it?

She turned from the waves and the bright view of the setting sun to the main deck where soldiers were milling about. This was a portion of the Fire Nation army being transported to support one of the various occupations in the Earth Kingdom. An officer approached them then and called them to order. His strong voice bellowed above the sounds of the sea. His mannerisms reminded her of someone.

And sudddenly Ursa thought of something else she could do for her son, and maybe even for herself.

She would find him.

The Dragon of the West.

Iroh.

The man who in another world, a better time, she could have married and lived happily with. Of course this would never happen now, but he could still help her. Even if he hated her for her involvement in dethroning him, she knew he cared for Zuko. Perhaps he could be there even if she couldn't.

She smiled to herself and turned back to the waves. Perhaps all could be well in time.

#####

She followed the Army as far as she could and then purchased an ostrich horse and some Earth Kingdom clothes from a humble village shop. The troops all bid her goodbye, and she gave her old Fire Nation garb and jewels to one of the troops who she knew from unintentional easedropping to be newly married. "Send these to your lovely wife, and let her know how lucky she is," she told him. For she knew Ozai had never spoken of her in this way.

The soldier looked sorrowful and confused when he took the clothing, and the rest of the troops reflected his gaze. Ursa was well loved among all the Fire Nation soldiers and commoners. As she mounted her ostrich horse she called out to the soldiers: "May the spirits bless and keep you all!"

And that was the last time any Fire Nation commoner would ever see Ursa, Princess of the Fire Nation for many years.

It took her about a day's ride to reach Ba Sing Se's outer wall, and she rode around the edge until she saw the red tent city of the Fire Nation Army, the camp where the Dragon of the West had abandoned his campaign. The sun was starting to set, and soon it would be the perfect time for hiding in plain sight.

She paused at a stream just outside of camp and unloaded a bag from her ostrich horse. From it she removed a short but breathtaking green and brown silk kimono, and she noted how its low cut revealed the curve of her breasts. Her hair twisted easily into a loose bun that she secured with lacquered chopsticks, and she slipped into a pair of embroidered green shoes. She finished with her eye makeup; it was far heavier than she was used to, but highly appropriate for the part she was about to play. One dabb of pefume and a gossamer green facial veil completed her look: the look of a prostitute. She smiled at her reflection, and walked her ostrich horse to the camp, a mere 300 yards away.

Though the seige had been called off the camp was still bustling with activity. The logistics of disassembling a military campaign of this magnitude were involved to say the least. The transport of supplies and personnel home was no easy matter, and would take more than a month to complete.

Therefore the red roof tents still stood proudly, and campfires still raged. Soldiers, officers, merchants, and of course prostitutes, roamed the grounds moving like quite shadows in the torchlight.

Ursa eyed the colorful consorts and said a silent prayer of thanks for their catcalls and fanfare. If not for their presence, sneaking in would prove more of chore. Dressed as one of them, she could go in practically unnoticed, and she did, swerving through the tented city to one tent in particular. She stopped when she came upon the elaborate tent and banner, a red background upon which a golden dragon was emblazoned; the banner ofthe Dragon of the West. She waited in silence until he emerged.

His age served him well. He was still muscular, like the last time she had seen him, and he was one of those men who looked very striking with gray hair, but he was different somehow. His posture was slumped, his eyes downcast...and then she remembered the loss of his son. Her heart fluttered a little at the sight of him, and for a moment she wondered if she would have to shock herself.

Remembering her part, Ursa emerged from the shadows and called out to him: "Care for a night of pleasure my Lord?"

Iroh did not turn to face her, but he did stop. "No thank you my dear. I have no taste for such a thing; I have just suffered a great loss, but I appreciate the offer."

Ursa smiled to herself. Leave it to Iroh to never be rude, even to a prostitute. "Perhaps some comfort then?"

Iroh still did not turn. His weight shifted in the torchlight, and he seemed to be considering her offer. In addition to sex, consorts often provided services of "comfort" to soldiers who were traumatized or had gone through the pain of losing a friend. Such services varied, and could include anything from a night of merely holding the woman, to a simple massage, to an hour of just having someone to talk to. "What is your price?" His voice was small, weak, the voice of a man broken with grief.

Ursa choked back tears in order to answer him. "Only your silence."

Silence? Iroh turned to face the harlot. Her hair was black and she had fire nation eyes. A green veil hid her nose and all the features below it...but those eyes. Those eyes he would know anywhere..."Ursa?"

Ursa undid one side of her veil, letting it fall away fom everything but the brand left by Ozai. "Hello Iroh."

Iroh rushed to her, pushing her into the shadows between his tent and that of one of his colonels. He put his arm around her protectively and his back to the rest of the camp. Sure that no one had seen them he whispered urgently "What are you doing here?"

"Iroh" Ursa spoke, and her voice was like that of a choking sparrowkeet. "Please, we can't talk here...No one else must see me..."

The Dragon of the West nodded, and with her veil replaced, Iroh tugged her into this tent. The Fire Nation troops guarding his quarters only gave them sleepy, half interested glances. Though the Dragon of the West rarely engaged in such activities, it had happened on occasion, and no one would say anything to him in light of the loss of his son.

"No disturbances," Iroh told them, and the guards nodded obediently.

He led Ursa to the back of his tent where he slept and pulled the curtain in front of his bed in order to shield them and make the cherade more believeable.

Ursa let the veil fall away for the second time, and Iroh gasped.

"By the spirits," he said, going from shock to anger in an instant. "By the spirits Ursa, what did he do to you?"

"He threatened Zuko. Iroh, it all happened so fast...when we heard...when we heard about Lu Ten, Ozai made a bid to Azulon for the throne. Azulon demanded that Ozai kill Zuko as punishment..and Iroh I..."

"No Ursa.." Iroh interrupted her gently, and Ursa noted that his eyes were fixed on her right cheek. "I mean...what did Ozai do to _YOU?" _Despite Ursa's best efforts, Iroh still managed to touch her on her cheek, and despite her better judgement she let him. His touch was nothing like Ozai's, forced and loveless. His touch was gentle, caring, and sensuous. It made her feel like a teenager again first experiencing the wonders of love.

Ursa gasped and stood up, uncomfortable with the affection both because of her feelings and because of the fact that she was simply unaccustomed to such attention. She began to pace, tears streaming from her eyes. Iroh watched her with patience and concern. It wasn't the first time he had seen marks on her from Ozai's fury, but it was the first time he had seen a brand of this nature. It made him want to vomit.

"You don't get it," she finally choked out, "I...I took the throne away from you Iroh! I did it to protect Zuko, and I'm not even sure I was able to do that...I have Ozai's word, but what good is it? What good has it ever been?" She collapsed on the bed next to him, sobbing.

Iroh climbed into the bed beside her and his arms found their way around the Princess. He held her with her back to him as she then proceeded to tell him everything from the very beginning.

She expected him to be furious, to throw her out of the tent and into the waiting arms of the guards outside as punishment. Instead he only listened pensively, patiently, and tightened his grip on her. At length she was silent, and the two of them could hear the badgerfrogs beginning their nightly chorus outside. Both were keenly aware of the way they laid in the bed, as lovers might, and yet none made a move to remedy this. In fact, they had accepted it, wanted it, and even needed it in some way. "I would have done the same for Lu Ten," he whispered in her ear.

"I don't expect you to forgive me," she replied as he began to stroke her hair, "and what I am about to ask of you I don't even deserve. But I find that I must, in spite of everything. I must ask you...to protect Zuko."

"You have my word," he said without hesitation. "I will never leave the boy's side. Never, unless my hand is forced. And Ursa, you must know...I forgive you. It is a fool who would choose power over love. I am no such fool."

The magnitude of his words hit her with ferocity and her heart gave a leap. Neglected for the last seven years, Ursa could just vaguely remember the art of seduction and what it felt like to make love. But as she pressed her lips to his, memory returned enough for her to do so with a man she truly loved for the first time in her life.

**So there it is people. URSA HAD A MOMENT OF HAPPINESS (TEAR). THE DRAGON OF THE WEST SCORED! YEA, GO UNCLE! SHOULD I WRITE MORE? Let me know please. Reviews, PM'S, anything. **


	2. Chapter 2

**All right everyone. Thanks for the correspondence. I know I was going to wait a while****,**** but I sat down the other night and the ideas just came to me. This chapter does have some romantic sap in it between Iroh and Ursa. It deals with Ursa saying goodbye to Iroh, Iroh returning to the fire nation, and Ursa starting on her journey into her new life in exile. Explains the Order of the White Lotus and how Iroh became involved. Still no lemons, but I do "hint" at them like I did in the last chapter. Chapter still rated T for the same reasons as the first. Oh, and some crazy Azula in here also, because let's face it people…sociopathic characters are just plain FUN!**

**Some reminders: Zuko is about 10 in this story, and Azula is 8. If you haven't seen the episode ZUKO ALONE in a long time I recommend you watch it before reading the rest of this. There are mentions of little goodies that were in that episode, like the doll and the knife sent to the children by Iroh.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. Please smite/sue me not. I already have to deal with Lawyers on my job. Don't feel like dealing with them in my personal life/hobby. **

Morning came far too quickly for the forbidden lovers. It was Ursa who awoke first to the sunlight streaming through the tent and the laughter of the men outside. She had washed, dressed, and just sat down at his table to write a note when she heard his voice from the bed:

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?"

Ursa looked up at him with sultry eyes. "I thought it might be less painful if I did."

Iroh pulled on his robe and joined her at the table. "Well I am awake so your plan is foiled, and now that I am, you must have some tea first. I couldn't bear you leaving my tent without a cup of Jasmine, or perhaps you prefer Oolong today?"

Usa giggled. "You know our tea sessions at the palace were always what kept me from going insane." Ursa could remember many a lonely day when Iroh would speak to her over tea and pastries, sharing his humor and wisdom with her for hours at a time. She just thought he was being polite; she never guessed that he actually returned her feelings. Now that she knew how he felt about her, those moments all made sense.

"Tea is good for the soul."

"So are you Iroh," Ursa whispered, and the General smiled back at her as he heated the pot. He pulled out some fruit and bread and set it before her, and she happily ate.

For a long time the two sat and ate in silence, glancing at each other like nervous teenagers, despite their age and strife. When the breakfast and tea were finished, Ursa remembered that she couldn't stay for much longer, and there were still things that needed to be said between the two of them, as it was unlikely they could see each other again.

"No one must ever know about us Iroh… I could not stand it if you were put to death. Ozai never loved me, but I'm sure he would execute someone for far less than sleeping with his wife."

Iroh let out a hardy laugh. "I know," he said at length. "But it doesn't mean I have to be happy about it, or that I can't try to stall you just a little longer."

"Your colonels will come for you soon Iroh," Ursa said knowingly, "and prostitutes don't stay through the entire day."

"Still Ursa, I hate the idea of never speaking with you again, or knowing how you are faring."

Ursa sighed. The thought was equally distressing to her, and then she remembered something given to her by the Fire Sage Shyla hidden in with the gold coins. She reached for the pouch and emptied its contents onto the table. She carefully swept aside the gold and found in the midst of it three distinct Pie Sho tiles with a beautiful white lotus carved in the center. She passed one of them to Iroh. "Perhaps we can write. Shyla the Fire Sage gave these to me a few days ago. He said that I would be able to contact him through others that bared this tile, who are a part of a secret society called The Order of the White Lotus. He told me to leave a letter with the bearer of the tile and they would get word to him. Perhaps we can get word to each other as well."

Iroh took the tile she had passed him and turned it over in his hands thoughtfully.

"Shyla said to find a Pie Sho table and place this tile down on its surface. If a member is present he will say 'There are not many who still cling to the old ways, 'and you should respond with 'but those who do can always find a friend.' Of course, if there are no members, then those at the table will only think you are playing Pie Sho."

Iroh gripped the tile in his hand until his knuckles turned white. "Then I will write you and I will tell you of Zuko's welfare and of my love for you all the days of my life."

"Not all the days," Ursa said reproachfully. She leaned across the table and ran her hand down the side of his cheek. "You have shown me love, and I am grateful for that Iroh…but I cannot ask you to pine for me the rest of your life, nor do I want you to. I must be in exile as long as Ozai sits on the throne, and you…you are the Dragon of the West who can give a woman much happiness. Take a noble woman for your wife, one who has not been banished!" She ended the sentence with a bittersweet laugh.

Iroh grabbed her and dipped her suddenly, passionately pulling her into a ravishing kiss. Her eyes closed and released a few stray tears, which Iroh kissed away when he was done with her mouth.

His touch sent tingles through her body and made her feel as though she was on fire. At last he stopped and Ursa found herself on his bed again. He looked down at her, smiling "Did you ever wonder why in the sixteen years since my wife's death, I never married another?"

The Princess didn't answer him, but she cocked an eyebrow as she untied her kimono.

"It's because I could never convince my heart to think of anyone beside you Ursa."

And Ursa felt love one last time before they said goodbye.

Once again Ursa found herself dressed as a harlot in order to sneak out of the camp, and Iroh handed her a rather hefty sum at the door of his tent. He pulled her to him one last time and whispered in her ear "Go now and be free."

His guards and officers took note, but never thought of it as more than a business transaction. A few of his men laughed and another slapped him on the back playfully. General Iroh was loved among his men; they were glad to see that he had allowed himself a rare break from his grief.

Ursa smiled all the way to her ostrich horse and threw her head back against the crisp morning as she galloped away from Ba Sing Se, deep into the Earth Kingdom. It was fall, and the air seemed to catch her and her mount, propelling them ever onward into the vast unknown. The falling leaves played at her hair and back as she made her way through the forests, and she swore the ghosts of the Air Nation had taken it upon themselves to guard her through her journey.

She rode all day with the wind, freer, happier than she had ever been in her life, hearing it whisper, whistle, and cajole her into this new life, a life of possibility. Even if she never saw Iroh again, he had shown her love, something she thought would never grace her. Even if she never saw Zuko again, she knew Iroh would keep him safe. She would not cry for the things that could never be; she would rejoice for the things that were and that had been. She would be happy, and she would be free.

The Princess rode past armies on the move: Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation weaponry and armor glinted in the sun as they marched. She passed ranches and shepherds with their livestock grazing in the windswept grass. She marveled at the simple beauty of the farmers at work in their fields and the merchants with their wagons in tow. The humility of the villages with their children at play in the eaves and doorways also caught her eye and her heart. She could have stopped at such a village for the night, but she was so enamored with her new found freedom that she decided against it. No, tonight she would lie under the stars and celebrate with the air spirits.

At length the sun began to set, and she found a handsome willow and stream beside which to camp. She unloaded her supplies and lit a fire with her bending. She laughed to herself, wondering at how easily the life of a refugee came to her. Who would have thought that a noblewoman, sheltered and pampered by servants, would feel so at home in the forest, so happy in her isolation? Well, not completely isolated. She shot a fond glance at her ostrich horse and emptied some feed onto her apron for him. "I think I'll call you Dragon," she told him and watched him eat out of her lap. _Dragon, for Dragon of the West._ She patted him gently, and his contented mews mixed with the sound of the crackling fire.

With the both of them fed, she spread her blankets on the ground beside the roots of the grand willow and stared into the fire. At length her eyes became heavy and she imagined Iroh's arms around her as she knew she would for the rest of her life.

The sound of laughter woke Ursa from her slumber. It was joyous and multilayered, like that of a child. She groaned awake. The fire was down to a few faint embers glistening in the wood. Her ostrich horse was snoring. She looked into the moon bathed forest and almost settled back down to sleep, but the giggling started again, and then she caught a flash of light out of the corner of her eye.

Her head whirled. There before her eyes stood a girl with a glowing blue mist about her, as though the moon had descended and kissed her itself. She looked at Ursa, and the woman was stunned by her eyes. They were the purest blue she had ever seen. Water Tribe perhaps? Ursa had only seen one other Water Tribe person, a maiden prisoner of war that the servants had brought to Ozai's bed chamber against her will. She remembered the terrified look in those eyes, the bluest eyes Ursa had ever seen.

The mysterious girl giggled at Ursa again and held something out in front of her.

Ursa gasped and grabbed for her pouch of gold and Pie Sho coins, only to find them gone. She jumped to her feet.

The girl laughed out loud, brandishing the pouch before her so Ursa could see it, and then she disappeared into the forest.

She ran after the child. Gold was replaceable, but the Pie Sho tiles she wasn't so sure about. She couldn't lose her only way of communicating with Iroh. "WAIT!" she yelled.

Ursa noticed a change in the air the deeper she went into the forest. It became thicker and heavier in her lungs, and it seemed as though the clouds themselves were creeping along the earth. She heard a chorus of badgerfrogs and saw lightning bug-spiders start to dance in the mist. The girl's glow drew her onward, ever deeper into the forest. Ursa felt the earth change beneath her feet from firm and powdery to sticky and giving; droplets of water splashed around her ankles. "Please wait!"

She saw the girl glance over her shoulder and beckon her forward. Then she laughed and ran deeper into the forest.

Just when Ursa thought her lungs would fail her, the glow halted suddenly, purposefully in a clearing about which the fog danced and the trees seemed to bow inward.

Ursa approached her, noting how she just stood, straight and stoic, her back to Ursa as though staring at someone or something.

"Little girl," Ursa chanced, "please, you can have some of the gold if you give me back my pouch. There's something else in there, something very important to me…"

Suddenly the girl turned, and Ursa could see she held something else in her arms, something mewling and alive. A baby.

The girl started to hand it to Ursa, and the woman instinctively put her arms out. The child was glowing just like the girl, but despite its unearthly appearance, Ursa could still make out its features….the baby that was Water Tribe, but blended with something else. Ursa wasn't sure of what. She got the distinct feeling that neither she nor the girl were related to the child, but Ursa still felt a connection to it in some way, as though she were responsible for its health or life.

"They will need you," the girl said, and when she spoke it was like a thousand voices echoing her own.

Suddenly a stream of lightning enveloped the girl. She cried out in pain and seemed to burst into a thousand sparks that faded into the night.

Fifteen feet behind where the girl had stood was her daughter Azula, her finger pointed outward in a lightning bending stance. "You never loved me!" Azula roared, and blue flames seemed to envelop her entire body as she screamed at her mother.

Ursa's voice caught in her throat as the lightning shot toward her and the baby, and just as it was about to end both their lives, Azula and her lightning disappeared, as did the mewling infant. In its place was Ursa's velvet bag of gold and Pie Sho tiles.

Ursa collapsed on the muddy forest floor, panting and terrified.

"Whooo wee that must have been one heck of a vision. Ise can smell ya sweatin' from over here!"

Ursa turned to see a man, heavy in build but sparse in clothing, if you could call leaves and vines clothing.

Before leaving the site of his defeat, Iroh spent the last few nights walking about the remnants of his camp, closely eyeing the few prostitutes that still remained, but none of them were her. He had hoped that she might surface once more, but she didn't, and he couldn't blame her. He had told her to go and be free, and that is just what she did.

He took the Pie Sho tile out and noted its surface. It was smooth and beautiful, but hardy and strong…_like her_, he thought. It brought him comfort to know that it had traveled close to her body for many days on her way to Ba Sing Se, and if he held it to his nose he could even catch a little of her scent. Ursa.

He put in the breast pocket of his uniform and kept it there all the way back to the Fire Nation. It stayed in his pocket as he entered the palace where he bowed and gave his debriefing report to Firelord Ozai. His brother scowled at him when he recanted the story of his defeat, but said nothing else except a few rehearsed condolences for the loss of Lu Ten. There were a few other pleasantries between the brothers which both found not so pleasant. The disdain between the two of them was plain and had been as such for years.

It took much of Iroh's self control not to confront Ozai about the ring shaped brand he left on Ursa, but he did manage to hold his peace. Ursa was right; it would be better if no one ever knew about their meeting. "If it is all right with you my Lord," Iroh said at last, "I would like to see my niece and nephew now."

Ozai waved his hand in approval and dismissal, and Iroh wasted no time. Azula wasn't far and wielding a knife in the foyer between the throne room and the garden.

Iroh frowned, recognizing the knife. "Azula," he began softly," what are you doing with your brother's present? And where is the doll I sent you?"

Azula put on her most innocent looking face. She was aware of the fact that her Uncle could see right through her, but she frankly didn't care. Such were the emotions of a sociopath. "Oh hello Uncle. So nice to see you home. Zuzu said I could play with it," she lied, "and my doll Uncle, oh so sad!" She put an arm up, feigning regret. "She was playing with the Generals' strategy pieces in the war room the other day and became a battle casualty…tragic really when you think about it."

Iroh grabbed the knife from her hand. "All the same Azula, I think it is probably your brother's turn to play with his present. Perhaps later if you are kind to him he will let you have another turn."

Azula made a face at him and stormed off.

Iroh sighed and continued his quest for Zuko. He found the boy in the garden near the pond. He looked small, helpless, and broken as he half-heartedly fed the turtleducks. Iroh thought he spied tears in his eyes.

He sat down beside his nephew, and when Zuko realized who it was he threw his arms around him. "I missed you Uncle!"

"I missed you too," he said, and Iroh noted how much the boy reminded him of his own son at that age.

Iroh spent the week doting on his nephew, and then, once he had something to write about, he wrote to her.

_My Moon Flower__,_

_My men and I are now safely back in our Nation. I found your son in poor spirits, but good health__,__ and took him bending for several days over the past week. It did seem to improve his mood, but he still misses you. I will not tell him of our meeting. The less he knows the better. _

_He puts his heart into everything. I truly wish you could see it…Of course you probably already know how hard he works. It is an admirable quality, and he will be a great leader someday. _

_You daughter is…well your daughter. She is in good health physically, but the physician believes she suffers from a disease of the mind. He recommends some medication; unfortunately these drugs may affect her bending, and her father will hear none of it. He does not see the difficulties in her that we have seen…I will continue to do what I can for her although I fear it is not much._

_I miss you my Flower. I know you fear for my life, but I cannot let this letter go without mentioning something of my passion for you. I also regret that we did not engage in punishable activities sooner. You were worth it, and I believe still are worth it. I will keep you informed of where I am going for any upcoming deployments; perhaps we can meet on the battlefield and risk my life again? Of course I will have Zuko with me but I believe one of my colonels could indulge him for an hour or two. _

_I keep the Pie Sho tile you gave me close to my heart and will always keep it there. I have loved you for the last twelve years and will always love you. _

_If you get a chance tell me how you are doing. But please do not sign your real name. You will notice that I addressed you as My Moon Flower. I'm not sure if you have ever seen one. It is a beautiful white bloom that thrives in the forests of the Earth Kingdom and will only open its petals in the shade or at night. You remind me of it, for I believe you, like it, will find your bloom and your true self in the shadows of your exile._

_Your Dragon_

_**OMG I am such a SAP!**_** Oh well hope you enjoyed the mushy forbidden love goodness, the Order of the White Lotus explanation and the Crazy Azula thrown in. Next chapter will be more plot heavy I promise. Thanks for the reviews and the fandom. Keep em coming if you want me to continue! **


	3. Chapter 3

**I Know I've been out of the loop for a while but I have a pretty good reason-FNP school. Learning a lot, but it also sucks. Glad I didn't decide to become an MD, this sucks enough. At any rate, please enjoy chapter three and feel free to PM me. Reviews are appreciated as always.**

"Wes a been expectin ya! Course thought you mighta gotten har a little earliar. Lyla's been waitin' for ya and so hav all we."

Ursa just looked at the gentleman, stunned. She was still trying to recover from her vision, and the man's accent made him hard to understand.

The man stepped forward, smiling. He offered his hand.

_At least he's friendly enough_ Ursa mused, allowing him to lift her up.

"Well com' on now. Tha others are a' waitin.'"

Ursa took one look back at the clearing where her vision had manifested. Nothing but a muddy field remained. _Enough looking back_ she decided, and followed the strange man.

After disassembling her campsite and collecting her ostrich horse, Ursa allowed herself to be led to a humble village with huts made out of grass and swamp fauna. The smell of camp fires and roasting kills filled the air. The rays of morning streamed through the green canopy above and greeted laughing children as they wove through the makeshift city and played at the banks of the murky swam water. To Ursa it seemed like a giant campsite, although she got the feeling that these makeshift homes were actually more permanent than they looked.

Several children, outfitted in similar ensembles inspired by nature, came up and took Ursa's hand, giggling. They fingered the modest Earth Kingdom kimono and robes she had changed into for sleeping. She had made a conscious decision to keep the veil in place, despite its association with prostitution. She preferred it to the ugly brand mark.

Their questions were endless and an almost constant assault. "Where war ya last, Da?"

"How many babies ya seen?"

"Was thar war up that o'way? "

"We hadn't seen none down this o'way!"

"Was' wrong wid ya face dat you weer a veil?"

"Ya seen many dead?"

Ursa wasn't even sure how to answer them. Their thick accents seemed to mask their words and obscure their meaning, and they spoke so fast. She started to tell them she had just come from Ba Sing Se when a heavy set man approached her

"I'm sur you remember, me Hue. Youse always welcoom, here Da. Wes got dinner on the fir, right har. Youse can come with me now."

Ursa tilted her head at the words. She thought he had called her something but wasn't quite sure. "I'd love some breakfast, thank you," He had offered her food; that she could be sure of.

Unbeknownst to Ursa, one of the swamp children had grabbed her pack down from the ostrich horse and was rummaging through it with the help of her playmates. She removed some heavy makeup and jewelry and ornate lacquered chopsticks. Her playmate scratched her head. "Strahnge things fo a mi'wife to pak."

#####

Iroh sighed, his knuckles white as his hand held his letter, his precious communication to his true love. It was a beautiful morning, even for a fall in the Fire Nation, and he could sense the crisp feeling in the air. The merchants were out, touting their wares and produce. But where to find a Pie Sho table like Ursa had described in the Fire Nation? Would it be possible to find one?

Iroh ducked into an alley shadow and took out the Pie Sho tile, noting its surface. He smiled, letting his mind wander to a few years back….

_Even in the gloom of the palace and the shadows that hung on her sleek figure, Iroh could see the bruise. It shocked him at first. Why? Despite the cruelty, it made no sense. Though it was obvious that Ursa cared nothing for Ozai and vice versa, there had never been any marks, not any that he could see anyway. His brother had once said of Ursa "at least she is good for her looks, if nothing else." She was the perfect girl to lay on his shoulder for meetings and official events. Why mar her like that?_

_She caught his gaze and her eyes fell quickly… shamefully. Normally happy to have his company Ursa seemed uncharacteristically very shy and dodging. She tried to glide past him, but Iroh caught her shoulder, pulling him against her and into the shadows between the columns._

_Even then she brought a hand to her face, trying to hide it. "I…I uh, fell into a doorway! Silly me!" She managed an unconvincing laugh and tried to duck out of his embrace, to no avail, as he only held her tighter._

"_Ursa," he began, "You have the beauty of a sunset and the grace of a swan. I can't imagine you falling into anything." In spite of himself, Iroh reached up and touched the bruise. He felt his heart beating__,__ pulsing desire through his veins. He was aware of her scent, and how she felt in his arms: perfect, soft, and strangely yielding despite her hesitance for disclosure. He could never blame her for that, not when her own husband had betrayed her in such a way. _

_He saw Ursa close her eyes under his touch, clearly enjoying it a little too much, but she didn't offer up any other information. Iroh decided not to press her. He knew the understanding was plain on his face. There was no need to tout her shame._

_Suddenly her eyes flew open with quick realization and she managed to shrug free of his hold. "I I have go to…uh, mark those stairs so I don't fall down them again__."_

"_Don't you mean the door?__"_

_Ursa forced a nervous laugh, eyes sparkling in spite of herself. "Yes, Door! Please excuse me Iroh!__" and she bowed __awkwardly away from him._

Iroh sighed. He had loved her even then, and the more her reminisced, it seemed that she had felt the same way. He had thought about her more lately, if that was even possible and gone out in the city, frequenting every Pie Sho table at the taverns closer to Caldera, the royal city and the upscale portion of the Fire Nation, to no avail. Only after a few failed tables did he realize his foolishness. The nobility had much to gain from the war and were unlikely to risk participation in any kind of secret society. For the middle class and the poor however, things were different. Goods were often rationed away from them for use of the army, and it was no secret that many in the lower classes had long suffered as a result of it.

It was after this realization that he found himself in the side of town frequented by thugs and youths looking to dodge their parents and inhale too much whiskey. The atmosphere of this district hovered between party and pickpocket central, with a very gray line in between these two extremes. Still, this did little to rattle Iroh. Even without the years of battle and martial arts experience backing him he still would have faced these streets. She was worth it. _She was worth anything._

He came out of the alley shadows. He would have to pick Zuko up from his swordsman lesson at Master Piandau's soon, and really only had time to test one more table. There were several in the eaves of the taverns lining the streets. He eyed the men sitting at them, trying to figure which held the best chance for success.

At length he chose one tended by a small unassuming bald man. He was older; he had a good fifteen years on Iroh at least, and his eyes were warm as Iroh approached.

Iroh bowed and placed the lotus tile on the table.

The man raised his eyebrows, and spoke the words that Iroh had waited more than twenty tables to hear. "I see you favor the white lotus. There are not many who still cling to the old ways."

Iroh's heart soared. "But those who do can always find a friend." Iroh removed the scroll from his cloak. "Brother, I ask for your help in delivering this to someone who was lost to me. She travels in the Earth Kingdom, South of Ba Sing Se."

The man nodded as he took the scroll and placed it under the table. "And by what name does the Sister call herself?"

Iroh smiled in memory "I called her "my flower" as we made love. She wears a veil to hide a scar given to her by the war. She will know herself by this name."

"And you are?"

Iroh didn't have to think about what to call himself "The Dragon."

The man bowed slightly. "To the Dragon's Flower then, we shall deliver this. Now join me for a game, Brother. We will draw too much attention to ourselves if we do not play at least one game."

Iroh nodded, smiling in agreement "A small price to pay for your most gracious assistance."

Iroh watched the man place a series of tiles on the table until they formed the outline of a flower across the table. Then he made his first move in the center.

Iroh made another.

The bald "Brother" smiled. "Good for a novice," he mused aloud, "But your strategy has its flaws…" The man jumped several of Iroh's tiles and the Dragon of the West soon found himself in a predicament.

He laughed good naturedly.

"I am Ryo," the man shared as he removed Iroh's conquered tiles, "And I should warn you Dragon, things are not friendly for the Order in these parts. I spend my retirement in the shadows, hoping against hope to find other members. There are very few here in the Fire Nation. Very few who believe in the beauty of balance….and none among the nobility, save for yourself."

"You know who I am?" Iroh was a good judge of character, but too humble to realize how recognizable he was amongst Fire Nation common citizens. He had hoped that one of the main benefits of traveling in this section of town was that few would know his face. He made another move on the board.

"I do," Ryo affirmed, " but very few will know as I do. Do not worry; your secret is safe with me. Secrets are all we have."

The man made another move on the board, completely conquering Iroh. "I refuse to believe that are this crummy at Pie Sho. Something is distracting you, perhaps?"

"I threw the game," Iroh confessed, and he stood up. "Please do not think me rude Brother, but I am short on time. I must get my nephew from his lesson soon, and that is at the other end of town. But I would be happy to meet with you again, perhaps later this week? "

"I will be here on Friday, and so will my contact from the Earth Kingdom. If your flower has written you, then her letter will be in his hands."

Iroh's heart gave a leap. "I will be here, and I promise you a more challenging match then."

"Until then Brother," and Ryo bowed as much as his seated position would allow.

Iroh returned his bow and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, hurrying down the road back towards the upper ring of Caldera.

It was here that Master Piandau, master swordsman of the Fire Nation had taken up temporary residence in order to train a few of Iroh's officers and also Zuko lately. Iroh knew that there was potential in Zuko, potential to be a great Firebender, but the boy was not ready for the higher forms. Iroh noticed that when Zuko tried to move up from the basics, his form would turn sloppy, and he would get frustrated and angry. Half of Zuko's difficulties with firebending Iroh attributed to his jealously towards his malicious sister, and the other half Iroh blamed on grief. His mother was gone, and his father had rejected him in everything but words. His emotions were labile, tittering between the jovial disposition of a normal boy and the fury of a wounded animal. Iroh doubted he would ever recover fully. No. The best solution would be for the boy to find a way to deal with the duality within him.

Iroh theorized that the study of a non-bending discipline would help him focus his energy in a more positive way and give him a skill that his sister knew nothing about. Piandau was conveniently in town to train his officers. It made sense to take advantage of his presence to train Zuko as well, and Ozai awash in his stolen power, could care less what Iroh did with his only son.

Iroh was glad he made this decision as Piandau's butler greeted Iroh and showed him to the courtyard where Zuko was drilling with the master.

The General held his breath. It was like watching a finely choreographed dance. Zuko's movements against his master were smooth and fluid, but calculated and precise. He handled the duel wooden training blades as though they were extensions of himself, parts of his body that he had always been comfortable with. His footwork was equally impressive, gliding him across the earth in a way that amplified his strikes.

Suddenly Zuko whirled and pinned Piandau's blade between his duel swords. A wry smiled played on the master's lips as the dark, slender man conceded and bowed. Zuko returned the gesture, then as if sensing a presence turned and waved up at his Uncle.

"Uncle!"

Piandau gave Zuko a gentle shove and sauntered behind the boy at a more leisurely pace to meet the guest.

Zuko threw his arms around Iroh. "Did you see me?" he shouted with red faced excitement.

"Yes and I was so proud! The Earth King will weep when you are finally grown!"

Zuko laughed and brandished his practice swords. "Master says that once I've got the movements down, we can work with real blades! He says I will probably be most suited for broadswords."

Iroh smiled but sighed inside. Broadswords. Appropriate for a lad doomed to eternally struggle with duality.

"Your nephew is quite the sword prodigy," Piandau said behind them, and Iroh bowed, missing the beaming expression of his nephew.

"I truly appreciate you giving him private lessons."

"It is an honor and a joy. He learns so quickly. Speaking of honors," Piandau placed an affectionate hand on Iroh's shoulder, "would you give the honor of a light supper and your company over tea?"

Iroh accepted the invitation with a nod.

"Zuko," Piandau said, "the food will be out soon. In the meantime reclaim the field and show your Uncle the basic drills I taught you. I know he would love to see your perfect stance while he enjoys his tea."

Zuko nodded enthusiastically as he ran back to the sandy training field.

"Come," Piandau said, his expression suddenly serious as he turned toward the table "we have much to discuss."

"Oh?"

Piandau nodded. The men both took their seats and faced the field, watching Zuko run through the forms and drills. The servants brought out steaming cups of tea which they set beside the men.

"There is news of another deployment to subdue the borders of the Earth Kingdom." Piandau said without looking at Iroh.

The old General didn't blink. It was no surprise that he had not heard. He knew his brother was disgusted with his defeat at Ba Sing Se, and probably would not send him to lead many more missions. Iroh frankly didn't care. Nevertheless he could sense it was worth hearing the sword master out. He still cared for his men and shuddered to think how Ozai or any of the Generals picked by him might handle them.

"Please continue my friend," Iroh said, never taking his eyes from his nephew.

"The Firelord proposes a Naval bombardment along the shores of the Northern Earth Kingdom. Some of the Army will be accompanying the deployment to take and keep the land, but this will be a massive naval operation meant to subdue and terrify the coastal towns of the Earth Kingdom."

"Do we not already claim that territory?"

Piandau sipped his tea thoughtfully. "If you're asking me if I think the mission is pointless, ridiculous or even cruel, then the answer is yes. We haven't had an uprising along the coasts since I was a child."

Iroh blew out a long breath, knowing everything that Piandau had said was true. "A show of force," he stated simply. "My brother takes the throne and now thinks to flex his muscles before the world…"

"…And innocents get to die in the process," Piandau finished for him, and took another sip from his tea. "Precisely why I hope you will consider going."

Iroh closed his eyes, digesting what Piandau had said. In his heart he knew why. One of the shameful things about his Nation was the way they conducted themselves during war, both toward those of their own side and toward the enemy. In his younger days as a lieutenant, Iroh had seen women raped, children killed, and homes looted for little more than sport.

He had also seen some of the younger troops of the Fire Nation sacrificed disgracefully. The nonchalance toward human life, both foreign and domestic, was something that always grated at Iroh. Even though he had been taught this way under his superiors, he had tried to change it in his days on the field, and he had nearly succeeded. His enemy POW's were always fed, cleaned, and cared for medically. True he had had to sacrifice some soldiers, but never in mass quantities and never unnecessarily. He had also made rape of the native women a crime punishable by stockade, and even encouraged prostitutes to come into his camps. Better to buy it than to take it Iroh reasoned.

His policies worked, and he was loved for them. Even his enemies seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when they realized they were surrendering to The Dragon of the West. .

Now, it would all be for nothing. The Fire Nation would return to its dishonorable battle techniques, effective though they were, and throw the soldiers to the wolf-bats. _And Piandau thinks I can stop it__,_Iroh mused dejectedly. He doubted anyone could.

"You don't have to stop it," Piandau said, as if reading his mind. "But you can show someone what it is like to behave dishonorably, and honorably." Piandau set down his teacup. "Personally, Iroh I've always thought that a Princes' education should be on the battlefield as well as in the classroom."

And with Piandau's last words, Zuko finished his drill. He bowed and grinned before the two men, sliding his practice swords with flawless effort into the hilt on his back, obviously showing off for his Uncle.

"When does the first wave leave?" Iroh asked Piandau.

"Not for a few months at least. Plenty of time for me to refine Zuko's training and help your men as well."

####

Ursa couldn't believe her ears "OH No NO NO NO! You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm sorry. I'm not this Da person you keep talking about. I know nothing about midwifery."

After spending a day or two with the swamp villagers Ursa had finally captured and understood the lilt of their language. Unfortunately this affinity for their accent came too late. When she had finally spent enough time with them to realize what they were saying Hue had led her into a hut where an obviously pregnant women looked up at her with expectant eyes and asked her "Hows I make this thang come out any fasser? Ise a pass' ma date and is a kikin' my luungs! "

At that moment realization hit her like a two ton Shirshu, and she backed out of the tent, quickly. The villagers had stared at her, expectant, confused, and at that moment Ursa had pointed out the swambenders' error in judgment.

"But, youse look just lake her!"

At that moment Ursa let her veil fall, revealing the fire nation insignia Ozai had stamped into her cheek. "Well, I'm not, and I'm very sorry for deceiving you. To be frank, I had a hard time understanding what you were saying."

The faces of the villagers fell at that moment. They all looked at the ground, disappointed, disheartened.

Ursa sighed. The people had shown her such kindness, she hated to refuse them completely. "I do know some medicine," she offered. It wasn't a lie. After her children started school, Ursa would while away her time with the royal physician Nera and go with her to attend the officer's wounds and the palace servants when they became ill. High society housewife gossip was never of interest to her, so it did her little good to keep company with the noblewomen outside of formal events. Besides, with the bruises on her face, she knew she would quickly become the subject of the nobility's gossip, and not a participant. Therefore she poured her time into her education with the physician and left the society bickering to the lesser hens.

At least Nera had looked at her with empathy and given her some creams and remedies to cover Ozai's marks. Nera also shared her time with Ursa, taking her on as an unofficial apprentice. Ozai was never aware that she did this; not that he would have cared. As long as she showed up and looked pretty on his arm during formal functions, he couldn't care less what she did with the rest of her time.

"I'll stay until this Da person arrives," Ursa announced. "It's the least I can do. I'll do what I can if the baby comes before she does."

The villagers immediately looked relieved.

For the next three days Ursa watched after Lyla, and when the signs of labor approached, Ursa breathed with her, but there were still no signs of the midwife.

The woman's struggle continued, and Ursa offered her her hand and cold compresses and shouted orders to the villagers for this and that. Morning turned into night and at long last the woman's twelve painful hours bore miraculous fruit. The former Princess still wasn't sure how she managed to pull this off, but she did, guiding the head and shoulders out through the birth canal, severing the cord at the appropriate time, and then guiding the afterbirth out with her steady hand. She cleansed and wrapped the infant tightly before handing it to the mother. She was even able to repair a tear the woman had suffered due to her experience closing soldier's wounds.

She knew the woman had endured more of the pain, but she had serious doubts about which one of them was more exhausted. Still, there was a strange sort of satisfaction she felt at what she had done, a feeling of accomplishment, and the gratitude on the woman's face…unforgettable.

Hue and the other villagers poured into the hut after Ursa made the announcement, and she cleared away to make room for the family.

The night sky was just barely visible through the canopy of trees, and stars winked down at her as if in approval. Dragon was chewing some feed alongside the village's central fire. She placed a hand on his back to steady herself. She reached for a small bag at the base of his saddle where she kept some of her more personal items, a few small things she had managed to take with her from the fire nation: a picture of her family (she had seriously thought about ink-blotting Ozai's face out), an artifact owned by her grandfather, and some calligraphy supplies. She slouched against a tree while Dragon mewled at her. "I know," she told him "I'm just going to write an old friend."

And she smiled up at the night sky as she thought of Iroh. _So this was romantic love_, she mused silently. _To miss someone so much that you physically ache for them. _Despite the novelty of the feelings, Ursa did have to admit to herself that this was foolishness. Iroh and her could never be together. With herself banished, and him a high-ranking General in the Fire Nation, it would be madness. Wouldn't it?

Still, writing letters to a forbidden love was terribly romantic. Perhaps she could do it a few times and then encourage him to seek someone else….even though the thought of telling him such a thing felt like a shard of ice through her heart.

She put the quill to the parchment. Could she even use their real names? No, she decided. He was known as the Dragon of the West, but she thought it better to shorten it to Dragon, making it recognizable enough for him, but vague enough for any interceptors. But what to call herself?

She thought back to the brief but wonderful moments they had shared. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered something he had called her in the midst of their passion and a smile played at her lips. And she began to write him.

**OK so I know this took me forever! Main Reason? I am cramming a lot of clinical hours into a very short period of time. Got less than 200 to go before Dec 2****nd****. Wish me luck. Don't expect to hear much more from me until around the middle of December for this reason. And of course I'm open to ideas, though I sort of know where I want to go with the rest of this. At any rate, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter while I complete my schooling.** **LOVE THE REVIEWS AND PM's by the way.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, so I'm not dead. Passed boards so I can spend a little more time on this. Thanks for hanging in there. **

Ursa had made it about halfway through her letter when he felt a chain across her neck, pinning her to the tree behind her. She was about to send a bolt of electricity towards her attacker when she heard a voice, low and threatening in her ear: "I haven't see you here before…_firebender_. What have you done to the rest of the village?"

Ursa struggled against the woman's hold, but her movements only tightened the chain on her throat. The wispy flashes of unconsciousness were dancing in her eyes when Hue emerged from Lyla's tent. It was just the distraction and slack that Ursa needed.

With one fluid movement, Ursa wrenched the chain from her neck and directed a tiny stream of white lightning toward her attacker, hitting her square in the shoulder and rendering her arm limp.

Ursa scrambled to her feet and assumed a lightning bending stance, ready for the confrontation sure to follow, but the woman's face caught her off guard.

It was like looking at a mirror, save for the shorter, silver-streaked hair. She was clearly of Fire Nation nationality, and she looked just as surprised as Ursa was.

Her attacker stood to face her, her good arm held in a defensive position, though it did not look like a bending stance of any kind.

"Eryting a'right har?" Hue interrupted, hoping to dissolve whatever this might turn into.

The older woman immediately shorted her stance. "Hue! Is the village all right?"

Hue laughed at the urgency in her voice. "Wese fine, and so's Lyla. She jus gav us a healthy baby boy, but we was a waiti'n fer ya. Wat happened,Da? You ain't never been late befer?"

The woman held up her good arm, brandishing a severed cuff from which a section of chain dangled. "I had a small delay. You'll forgive me if I don't elaborate."

Ursa's breath caught in her throat; she recognized her nation's craftsmanship.

"Well Ise glad that you're OK. Maybe Billi-Jay can get thos thangs off'n ya, but how's about you come look at tha baby right quik? Looks healthy, but youse tha expert on babies."

Da bowed and then glared at Ursa with an unspoken request.

"Of course…." Ursa said, reproducing her focused shock.

The woman's arm immediately regained its mobility. She gave Ursa another glare as she followed Hue into the tent where Lyla and her family were waiting.

# # # # #

_My Love,_

_I wonder where they will send you next? After Ba Sing Se what else is there to take? I did not travel far before finding the need to write you. I missed you, and so I have only been to a small swamp in the south of the Earth Kingdom. Here, the people live in seclusion and simplicity, but there is an honor and a freedom in their lifestyle. They are rich in love though they are poor in possessions, and I do not think that the Fire Nation would be interested in what they have to offer. I was privileged enough to deliver one of their babies, a boy that was born healthy and strong, despite the strange diet of bugs and gatorfish the people eat here. I think if I had survived on such fare when I was pregnant…my children would have turned out very differently indeed. I passed a few villages along the way, and they have little to offer the Fire Nation as well, with the exception of their land. I saw mostly women and children and few if any men._

_It seems as though we have all but conquered the world, and at the same time have conquered nothing at all…._

_How is my son…Dare I ask my daughter? I think of them often and I wonder constantly…Did I do the right thing? Or did I unleash a monster on the world in the name of protecting my young? Will the God of the Universe forgive me for my crimes as easily as you did?_

Ursa held the letter against her and sighed. She couldn't help but think that this was so silly. Did Iroh really mean what she said about her…that the reason he couldn't remarry…hadn't remarried….was because of her? Iroh was no liar…but it was still difficult for her to believe.

Suddenly she heard crunching behind her and felt a presence. She whirled and stood abruptly, staring into eyes which could have been her mother's.

The two women stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Ursa spoke "You must be Da. Hue told me about you. I hope your arm is better…"

"Come inside with me," the woman said coldly and then turned, her step quick and sure towards the circle of huts.

Ursa blinked at the woman's response; she was hoping for an apology concerning her neck, which the chain had rubbed raw. Nevertheless, Ursa followed her into a simple one-roomed hut in which a small sleeping pallet and table lay. The table was set inside with a few plain dishes and a set of clothes. It was similar to the guest hut that Ursa had stayed in during the past few nights.

Da gestured for her to sit and Ursa did so obediently, feeling like a naughty child but unsure of what she had done wrong.

The woman took a place across from Ursa and stared at her suspiciously. "What are you doing here?" Da asked at last, her voice a low and hostile hiss.

Ursa's eyes fell. "I was traveling and I found myself here by accident…I was only trying to help that mother…."

Da crossed her arms and glared at her like a wolfbat surveying its prey. "Your story doesn't make sense; how did you make it so far without being discovered? We are a long way from the colonies, and this is not exactly sympathetic territory. These people know me and accept me for who I am, but I often dye my eyes and skin when I travel."

Ursa looked down at the ground. She had never considered the intricacies caused by her nation's war or how she might appear to the outside world. Sharing the glory of the Fire Nation; isn't that what the war was about? If this were true then wouldn't the people of the world be grateful? But yet again, as she had written to Iroh, it seemed as though they had conquered everything and nothing at all. "I have been banished…and I am only trying to make a new life for myself. I have no intentions of harming anyone."

At length the woman softened. Ursa had gone from a threat to a mystery in a matter of seconds, and the midwife loved a good mystery. Nevertheless, her voice retained a note of protectiveness. "You must understand these are good people in no need of the war. It would seem that you are too, at least some part of you, because Hue told me what you did. Still, you were very lucky the birth went so smoothly. Lucky it was not a breech presentation….What would you have done then?"

"It seems I could learn a lot from you."

The woman blinked at Ursa, and the princess could tell she was trying hard to hide her surprise. Ursa used the time Da was in shock to finish her thought "When I was at home..I trained with a physician…but I would like to train with a midwife….so different presentations, as you call them, won't be a problem in the future."

The woman's stone expression melted in an instant, and the laugh that followed was a rolling gale of merriment. "So let me guess: You want to be a midwife because giving birth is such a happy experience? The babies are so cuddly and cute and life is just a bowl of leche nuts all the time? Am I right?"

"Well..." Ursa stammered, "I.."

"WRONG!" Da exclaimed and banged her fist on the table, causing the tea cups to rise an inch from its thick wooden surface. "This is not a happy profession." She stood up, and her expression hardened again. "Do you know how many fathers attended my births last month?" Da held up 2 fingers. "Two out of sixty births. The rest of the men either ON the Battlefield or IN the field. Some of those births were from _forced_ couplings…not every battalion conducts itself_ honorably_, you know."

Da could see that the princess understood completely, but she spoke in spite of this. "Please. I had a vision, in the swamp.."

"HA! Every yahoo who inhales swamp gas thinks their vision means something. You know what I saw on my way here? Twenty purple badger moles playing sunki horns and an elephant hippo doing hot squats…And do you know that that means?"

Ursa blinked "Nothing?"

"EXACTLY!"

Ursa rose and bowed in respect, undeterred by Da's abrasiveness. "You are right. I don't belong here. I have been banished from our homeland, and so far I have been lucky. But I desperately need to hide and earn a living at the same time. It seems that what you do would be perfect for that."

The woman's eyes narrowed, and Ursa thought she detected a hint of compassion in them, but the curiosity that followed was unmistakable. "Why are you hiding?"

The princess sighed, choosing her words carefully, "I… was in an abusive relationship. He gave me his word, but I do not trust him to leave me alone…and with all of our troops throughout the world, I keep thinking that one day he may change his mind and come for me. Therefore it is best I disappear."

Ursa saw her companion shift uneasily, resting her chin against her hand in consideration and study "I have never taken a student," she mused aloud, "and what I do can be quite complex. We are talking two to three years of study in order to learn properly. You must have complete commitment, focus!"

"Of course..."

"And, when I have trained you we must part ways, and travel in opposite cycles, rotations. I have long had a problem of not being able to care for the sheer number of women in need. You will repay me with three years of this once I have trained you."

"Gladly."

"And there is another thing. You must remove that veil for me. If we are to spend so much time together, then there can be no secrets between us. "

Ursa was hesitant, but understood Da's reasoning. Such a close working relationship would require a great amount of trust. With that thought she loosened the veil.

For a long time the midwife just stared at Ursa's brand. There was no disgust in her eyes, only the wild curiosity of a clinician looking at a puzzle. And then suddenly Da lunged across the table causing Ursa to gasp.

Da roughly gripped Ursa's chin with her right hand, holding her face steady as she analyzed the mark. "I do not recognize that insignia, though I have traveled the world and had my fair share of run ins with the Fire Nation. Which officer got ahold of you?"

"It was no officer. It was…Prince Ozai."

Abject terror fleeted across the midwife's face, and she released her vice-grip on Ursa.

"Actually, he's Firelord Ozai now," Ursa sighed. "Do you want to hear more?"

Da bit her lip, considering. At length she shook her head. "I've changed my mind... I think it is best...the less I know about your circumstances." She swallowed thickly. "Put your veil back on, and keep it on when we are in public. If anyone asks...your husband was killed by a firebender. You were scarred trying to help him." Da then stood up and walked toward the door of her tent.

"Thank you!" Ursa called after her.

Da stopped, her back to Ursa, and the princess thought she heard her snicker. "We will see…if you still thank me. What I do keeps me _safer_ but not…" For the first time since Ursa met her, Da seemed to choke on her words. She threw a glance back at her student. "Come, I'll show you how to examine a baby and still a woman's bleeding."

# # # #


	5. Chapter 5

**OK so this chapter's a little sad. We start off with some great Iroh/Zuko feels and then it gets a little gory as we go back to Da and Ursa. I'm going to refer back to the AN genocide at the Western Air Temple, but you'll see why. **

Iroh had never thought himself a naval man. He had always preferred land strategy over water combat, but as he looked into the clear glass waves below he could understand why one would choose this life. His heart was doubly wounded, first with the loss of his son and second with the loss of her. Yet the ocean did wonders to calm him, center him, and be grateful for the letter in his pocket.

He hadn't read it yet.

When Ryo presented it to him, he'd only glanced at it enough to see it was _Her_ writing. He was waiting for the perfect time, and now simply wasn't it. Now the Earth Kingdom shore loomed in the distance. Now Commander Chan was discussing his plans for their reconnaissance mission with his first mate.

Now Zuko was beside him.

And he couldn't know.

It killed him sometimes not to tell the boy. They had been close before, but their bond had truly solidified over the past month. Zuko had accompanied his Uncle almost constantly, becoming his little shadow except when he was at his sword lessons or with his tutors.

Iroh welcomed it. The boy helped to fill the void in his heart left by his own son, guiding him through his grief just as Iroh helped the child through his own sorrow. They needed each other. And they both missed _Her_.

It felt like a betrayal to him to keep Ursa's whereabouts secret ...but she was right. It was the best way to protect him should Ozai break his word.

"Uncle, what is the Earth Kingdom like?"

Iroh smiled at his nephew. " It's very big with lots of farmland. Of course, I spent most of my time at Ba Sing Se."

"But we're not going back there."

"No."

"And we're not going to Omashu?"

"No, nephew."

Zuko pouted. "I thought we already had conquered everything, except for Ba Sing Se and Omashu."

Iroh looked at his nephew. "The point of this trip is not so you can conquer something, Zuko. The point is so you can learn to lead and to respect those you lead. Only then can you become a great Firelord."

Zuko frowned and turned away from the bow of the ship. His eyes drifted to the deck where a squadron of Army troops was milling about. These soldiers were ground forces, not a part of the ship's crew; thus they had little to do until the landing. They languished on deck, sunbathing and chatting amongst themselves; overall, they looked bored. "Father doesn't think I'll make a good Firelord," Zuko said at last, biting his lower lip.

"You assume too much Zuko..."

"No he actually told me that I'd make a 'horrible Firelord.' He said that Azula would be better."

Iroh sighed. It didn't surprise him. He'd hoped to keep Zuko away from his brother and minimize their interaction. Clearly his efforts weren't enough. "Well, let's prove him wrong, starting now. Do you see those soldiers over there? Their morale is low because they have nothing to do. Let's fix that. Let's show off your swordsmanship by challenging one or two of them to a friendly dual."

Zuko straightened. "A dual?"

"Why not? They could use the practice and they're probably not half as good as you anyway."

"But I'm a kid!"

Iroh leaned down so he was eye to eye with his nephew. "Zuko, they're around 16-17, not much older than you. Besides, this isn't about you. It's about them. Great leaders care about their men. Sometimes, just spending time with someone can go a long way." Iroh nudged his nephew forward. "Go on."

The first soldier he asked laughed boisterously, thinking it was a joke, but the man to the left of him thought it was cute. He stood up, grinning from ear to ear at the child prince. "Hey if you don't want to I will! It'll be like roughing up my kid brother!"

While the soldiers debated over who would be the first, Iroh attended to his own pursuits. At that moment, Commander Chan happened to pass him. Ozai had not directly approved of Iroh's involvement, but Commander Chan had great respect for the old General and was happy to have him. Nevertheless, Iroh's reputation as an eccentric man preceded him, and this wasn't the first shenanigan he'd instigated.

"What have you done now, Iroh?" Chan sighed.

Iroh put his arm around him "Just some friendly training. Would you care for an equally friendly wager? I'll bet you that my nephew wins the first match."

The Commander laughed. "Sure Iroh, I'll take your money."

Zuko and his first opponent faced each other and bowed formally. Then took their stances and came together with a sporting clash of steel. Zuko felt odd about going up against a man six years his senior. The soldier, however, was reminded of his kid brother, and he held back his strength. Sure of his victory, the soldier treated this match like a game, sending half-hearted blows toward the prince, but Zuko took it seriously.

Unable to outmuscle him, Zuko strove to outmaneuver instead. He became light and maneuverable, weaving in and out of his opponent's strikes until he ducked between his legs.

This soldier was dumbfounded. His kid brother didn't move like this.

And then he felt a tap on his shoulder.

The other soldiers exploded into laughter.

Iroh thought, if dancing was still allowed in the Fire Nation, that Zuko would have been excellent at it. The way he dipped and swerved to counter the assaults was beautiful and effective and almost like the dancing Iroh remembered his grandmother describing to him. Iroh was so proud he almost didn't notice when a grumbling Commander Chan handed him his winnings.

"There will be more matches," Iroh noted. "If you'd like to wager again, perhaps you can..."

The commander raised his hand. "That- won't be necessary. I believe I'm needed in at the helm." He left in a huff.

Iroh smiled as he counted his winnings; he almost didn't notice when that same soldier hoisted Zuko over one shoulder and started walking toward him. The others on deck laughed as Zuko struggled and grumbled with protest. The soldier bowed before Iroh as much as his struggling bundle would allow. "Does THIS belong to you, Sir?" He turned to reveal a surly Zuko draped over his shoulder.

"Put me down! I won fairly! You know I did!"

The soldier laughed. "As you wish your highness," and Zuko hit the deck with a dull thud. His deliverant reached down to ruffle Zuko's hair. "Good kid," he beamed. "Lets do it again sometime."

Despite the fact that he'd won, Zuko was fuming; being carried like that felt degrading. He became even more cross when he saw the money in Iroh's hands. "Uncle! You said this was about the men! I didn't do this so you could get rich!"

Iroh grinned sheepishly at Zuko. "I'll split it with you?"

Zuko facepalmed.

"Ahh don't be angry Zuko. Look at them! Look at how happy they all are."

The soldiers were now on their feet, discussing different sword techniques, movements, and approaches. A few of them were rehearsing in slow motion. They seemed to have been reminded of their purpose. "_You_ did that. See, you will make a wonderful Firelord! Forget about Azula. Besides, she's not in line for the throne. You are! "

"Well so were you Uncle, and we all know how that turned out!" chided a small female voice.

Iroh suppressed a groan while Zuko let his slip. If only Azula had not insisted on coming.

# # # # # #

Ursa and her new professor stayed in the swamp for a few more weeks to deliver a swampbender girl, and a few of the younger teenagers Da had tried to scare into a life of celibacy. Da called her graphic descriptions of childbirth and coitus-related disease "preventative care;" Ursa called it overreaching and unnecessary.

Da had scowled at her. "Unnecessary? Sex is what it is, and sex makes babies. The sooner they get over it the better. And you," Da poked her in the chest, "better get over it too if you truly wish to care for women properly."

And that was only the beginning.

She'd written to Iroh of Da's firm hand:

Y_ou would not believe how she speaks to me Iroh: like a drill sergeant to new recruits. Sometimes I feel like I am a burden she regrets taking on. But the strange thing is, I cannot be angry at her for it. Something tells me it's nothing personal; it's just who she is. Something has hardened her. The funny thing about it is, I am just as curious to know what did this to her as I am to know the art of midwifery."_

Without her requesting, Da had taken her to Kina, an elderly hermit and white lotus member that dwelled along the coast. "These Lotus people know the troop movements; that's very important for what I do. Wherever the men are, the babies follow shortly afterward."

Ursa had not told Da of her involvement with the society.

Kina had been helpful. "You've got another month before this large wave in the Northern Earth Kingdom hits," she told Da. "The rest of the movement is inconsequential. The Fire Nation is just changing out the old recruits so that the men can return to their families and rest between deployments."

"Good," Da said. She bowed in reply and handed Kina some smoked fish the swampbenders had given her as payment. "That means we have time."

Ursa gave Kina her letters when Da wasn't looking. She wasn't ready to tell Da about Iroh yet.

The princess followed her teacher to another cave which held a boat unlike any Ursa had ever seen. She gingerly fingered the carvings of wolfs and ravens that adorned the vessel. The blue sails were patched with Earth Kingdom green. "Kina keeps it for me," Da explained as she guided their ostrich-horses onto the craft and hitched them to the rail of the ship. "I traded a water tribesman for it."

"That must have been some trade for him to give you his ship."

"It was," Da quipped, her lips set with pride. "I slept with him!"

Ursa had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing; surely this woman had no shame.

They sailed on for days, letting the wind guide them into a vast open sea. Ursa sensed that they were drawing near to the Fire Nation, but Da assured her that they would not actually enter the territory. They were going was somewhere very different.

True to her word, Da anchored off shore a few hundred miles short of the Fire Nation territory and brought their mounts to a large stone quarry that funneled upward in a path toward a mountain. The trail was gray and barren, like a rock quarry. There was heaviness in the air that the princess couldn't place.

"This is the trail of tears," Da told her, pointing to an area at the foot of the path "If you look over there, you'll see why."

Ursa followed her mentor's directions and felt her heart quicken a little. There, at the entrance to the trail, were a couple of skulls that the earth had grown around, the bones bleached bright white with time.

The princess was so captivated by this that she didn't realize her arm had been cut by her mentor. Ursa yelped and tried to snatch her arm away, but Da held it fast. Da squeezed her arm until droplets of blood pooled over a bundle of driftwood she'd gathered. "You'll thank me," Da told her "when the Air Nomad spirits aren't tormenting us," and the midwife cut herself, spilling a good amount of her blood onto the driftwood as well.

"You're crazy."

"Think what you want," Da replied, "but there's a reason why we didn't occupy these temples when we killed them all. The Air Nomads were so spiritual that upon their death, their souls easily walked the gate between the living and the dead. They tormented the Fire Nation at will. Eventually our armies abandoned the temples to time and disrepair, and the rest is history.

"But I found a way to appease the spirits. I showed them I respected them" Da told her, handing the princess a bandage, "by giving them a sacrifice. So if you wouldn't mind, firebender," she gestured to the driftwood pile awash in their blood.

After burning the offering, the two women took to their mounts with Da in the lead. As they walked, Ursa came across more and more bodies. Every now and then Da would stop to move a skull or long bone out of the way and bow to it respectfully. The air grew thinner the further they went, and the two women found they had to slow down so they could breathe comfortably and continue their journey.

At length they reached a tunnel which emptied out into a wide cliff littered with statues, fountains, and rubble. Buildings hung like stalagmites from the cliff above them and vines curved along the vast expanse of limestone. The clouds floated lazily by, kissing the crest of the cliff and the canyon below it.

In all of her life, Ursa had never imagined a place like this existed. The history lessons just didn't do it justice...and of course those were all biased toward the Fire Nation anyway. The temple literally took her breath away.

"After the attack on the temple," Da told her reflectively, "they tried to escape through that causeway to the sea. But we were waiting for them, and that's why it looks the way it does today. That's why it's 'the trail of tears.'"

Da's brusque manner had softened, and she seemed detached from her abrasive self. She tied their mounts to a rounded post and took a few steps toward the cliff. She was staring off into the distance as though seeing something in the dance of the clouds.

Ursa didn't know whether to be traumatized or amazed by Da's sad battle analysis. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked instead.

"To learn something you can only learn here," she answered. Da turned, and Ursa saw a new intensity in her eyes. "Walk with me."

The princess complied, following her mentor through a stone entrance littered with vines and overgrowth. There was a torch that Ursa assumed the woman had left from earlier pursuits, and the princess lit it with her firebending. Light spilled into the room, but Ursa was unprepared for the scene before her.

She had thought the trail of tears was bad, but this was horrific. There were small beds lining the walls of the room and most were occupied by a skeleton. A few had spears or swords through them, their hands clutched around them as if to wrench the weapon from their body with their dying breath. A few skeletons lay on the floor as well, as though trying to escape, but all in all there were few empty beds. The floor was painted with rust-colored stains which Ursa assumed was ancient blood, and the walls and headboards were charred.

But that wasn't the worst part. The skeletons inside those beds held small skeletons within them, and it was at that point Ursa realized that they were all...Ursa couldn't say it, not even in her mind. It made her ill even to think it despite the frank evidence. She fell to her knees, biting her tongue, holding back the bile that crept into her throat.

"You're right, they all were," Da confirmed. "You're looking at the Air Nomad's version of a hospital, a birthing center. And we killed them all. We murdered pregnant women!" Da spread her arms out and she hollered to the stone walls with anger and scarcasm: "Aren't we just a Great Fucking Nation!?" Da's outburst reverberated, stirring the ancient rubble.

The echoes tormented Ursa's balance and control on her nausea; she vomited onto the floor.

Da frowned. "Don't puke where they died! That's disrespectful!"

"And you saying "'fucking' where they died isn't?" Ursa countered.

Despite herself, the midwife smiled. "I knew there was a reason I agreed to teach you." Da offered her hand, helping the princess up. "There's a mother here that is in very good condition. She will help you understand what I do."

With much coaxing Da led her to a skeleton, a "mother" that was better preserved than the others, along with her tiny infant that never got to take its first breath.

"We're all different races, but the physiology and the anatomy are pretty much the same." And Da pointed to different sections of the skeleton as she lectured to Ursa. She explained how the bones loosen in a woman's pelvis before birth, how the infant's skull is soft and giving so the child can survive birth and many other things which Ursa found fascinating, but had difficulty processing.

Sensing Ursa's conflict, Da invited her to touch the mother, to try to shake the spell the scene had cast on her.

Ursa crouched over the skeleton, her fingers trembling. She wanted to follow her teacher's instructions, wanted to touch...but somehow couldn't. She felt as though she was frozen in place and would shatter if she tried. "Da," she said at last. "Do you think all sins can be forgiven in time? Even this one?" Ursa's mind turned to her own sin: her murder, her treachery, and her part in continuing the bloodline that had committed this atrocity.

Da knelt behind her. "I think so, as long as it's not humans that do the forgiving. But I do know this. We all have a purpose. Even these two. Especially these two. They died so I could learn. So you could learn. Your purpose now is to honor them by learning from them."

Ursa felt her hand teacher's lay gently on top of hers. The princess' hand drifted slowly downward until it made contact with the ancient bone.

**A/N: I know that was rough, but it's necessary. In order to do anything in healthcare, you've got to touch dead bodies first, and it's not like Da has a university full of this stuff she can take Ursa to. She's on the run from the Fire Nation too (spoiler alert!). Plus I promise its part of their character development. **

**Besides, if the FN did kill **_**all**_** the Airbenders, it stands to reason that some of them were pregnant at the time. Sad huh? Next chapter will be happier I promise. **


	6. Chapter 6

**So now we get to see how Azula does a tea party. Then we go back to Ursa and Da, still serious but not overwhelmingly so. **

**In The Promise part 3, they allude to Zuko having sent June and her Shirshu out for Ursa and June having failed. I have developed my own headcannon concerning this, which you will see described by Da. **

"Azula, young ladies don't eavesdrop," Iroh corrected gently, "why don't you try out that new tea set I bought you?"

Zuko facepalmed. "Uncle," he hissed through his teeth, "When have you ever seen Azula play tea party?"

"No, Uncle's right," Azula stated. "I think I should try out that present. Come on Zuzu, you can play too. I'll practice being a lady…whatever that means."

Before Zuko could protest Azula was dragging him below to her stateroom. The true force of her strength never ceased to surprise Zuko.

Zuko tossed Iroh a pleading glance.

"Its tea Zuko!" Iroh tossed him a thumbs-up. "How much harm could that do?"

# # # #

"So this is a little game I like to call 'war prisoner,'" Azula explained as she pulled out a chair for her brother. "It works like this: you're an Earth Kingdom prisoner of war, and I'm going to interrogate you."

Zuko's pulse accelerated, but before he could make a break for the door Azula had roped him like a cattle hound and tied him to a chair in her state room.

Just when had she learned to do that? thought Zuko, and who had given her rope? "Azula, I'm going to tell Uncle!" Zuko half yelled, half sobbed.

Azula tightened the knots around her brother's arms. "Oh Zuzu, you're such a baby," she quipped. "It's only a game, you'll see. Besides, how else are you going to learn proper interrogation techniques?"

"Who are we going to interrogate Azula? Uncle says the territory is already conquered."

"Uncle this Uncle that," Azula mocked. She opened a suitcase where ornate porcelain cups rested inside velvet niches. "Have you ever thought, Zuzu, that perhaps Uncle is not the best example for you to be following? Perhaps also he's not the best source of information?"

"What do you mean?"

Azula's eyes glittered as she arranged the china on the table before Zuko. She was extremely meticulous as she smoothed the napkins and tilted the cups, letting the silence linger between them. If not for the hog-tied guest, one might think she really was going to play tea party.

"I asked you a question, Azula!"

Azula smirked and leaned across the table. "Tell me where the Earth Kingdom spies are and I might just answer your question." She was holding something behind her back.

"Azula, you're the weirdest girl ever! Uncle buys you this nice tea set and you use it for…"

Zuko was cut off by the sound of metal clanging to the center of the table. Forks, daggers and-_were those dental instruments?- _now rested in between the china cups.

The POW swallowed against a lump in his throat. "Azula," he said quietly, "You'd better not…"

"Better not what?" Azula challenged as she rounded the table to where Zuko sat. The dull side of a knife and her breath glanced his throat. "You see Zuzu," her tone had gone from threatening to instructional in an instant, "it's all about intimidation. You don't even have to make a cut if you approach the situation correctly. Just a little more of this and your prisoner will sing like a bird."

"Azula…"

"Of course, there's always the deprivation route," she continued. "Give a prisoner only meager sustenance for a week. Then you offer them a nice meal in exchange for the information. So Zuzu…" she was acting again as she held up a porcelain cup. "This is some very fine Oolong. I'll bet you're sick of bread and water. How about those spies?"

Zuko breathed with relief. "They've gone to Omashu," he played her little game.

"LIAR!" Azula screamed. A second later she was brandishing something Zuko was sure she'd swiped from the ship's surgeon.

Sweat exploded from Zuko's pores. He was shocked he hadn't wet himself. "I'm not lying!" he screamed back, trying, unsuccessfully, to mask his fear.

Azula dissolved into a maniacal laugh. She dropped the surgical instrument and clapped excitedly. "See, wasn't that fun? Now, do me!" she severed his ropes and hurried to the chair across from him, disgustingly giddy.

Zuko sighed. Why was his sister so sick? At least he wouldn't be on the receiving end this time. Once Azula was properly restrained he repeated his question concerning Uncle.

"No, no, no!" she huffed. "Not like that, Zuzu! Show me something sharp! That way I'll get really scared and start talking. Make me believe that you're really going to hurt me!"

Zuko lost his patience. He picked up one of the more wicked instruments and drove it violently into the table before her; the tea set jumped an inch from the force. "That sharp enough for you?" he glared at her.

"Bravo Zuzu! All right, here's what I heard. You're not the only one with a mentor you know. You've heard of Commander Zhao?"

"I've heard he's a pompous hothead. What about him?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Well what he lacks in humility he makes up for in brilliance. He's agreed to meet up with me and mentor me once we dock at the Earth Kingdom. He says that while the lower ranking men love Uncle, the officers have mixed feelings about him. Many think he left Ba Sing Se just when the siege was starting to get good."

"That's not news Azula. You've been telling me that for weeks."

Azula smirked. "But what I haven't told you is the degree which his officers disagreed." She paused for effect. "In fact, shortly after Uncle called off the siege, a small group of his officers conspired to kill him and re-institute the assault. The plan was foiled because Uncle took up with a prostitute the night it was supposed to happen, and too many eavesdroppers were close to his tent. The lead conspiring officer had to leave for home the next morning. So the question is, Zuzu: do you want to follow a winner, or risk getting stabbed in the back?"

Zuko swallowed, battling to hide his emotions. He could feel the rage building up in his eyes; so he shut them. _Azula always lies. Azula always lies. Azula always lies._

"You know Zuko," Azula broke his mental mantra, "you're supposed to be interrogating _me_."

Zuko came undone. In one swift movement he had leapt across the table, his hands at his sister's shoulders.

Azula made a little cry of surprise as her chair clattered to the floor with her still restrained; her brother's weight came down full force on top of her.

"Does no one mean anything to you Azula?!" Zuko screamed. "Talking about Uncle dying is no joke! Uncle loves you! So did mom! She's gone now, probably dead, and I haven't seen you shed a single tear for her! Am I next?"

Surprise flickered across Azula's face before her expression settled back on its maniacal mask. She set her lips and stared at her raging brother.

"AM I NEXT!?"

Azula licked her lips, the corner of her mouth turning upward into a sadistic little smile. "By the spirits, Zuzu, I think you're finally starting to get the hang of this."

# # # # #

It took a long time for Da's words to sink in, but once they did Ursa felt much more knowledgeable. She reviewed the mother in detail, then a few other skeletons, and the remains of a baby Da thought was about a month old at the time of its death. Ursa's understanding of the necessary anatomy was proficient by the end of the day.

There was still more to do.

After supper Da brought her to the edge of the temple where a carved statue of an Air Nomad Avatar stretched her arms up to the shelf of rock above. Her blue arrows and orange clothing was pale and worn with time. Da knelt at the statue's feet. "Pray with me," she invited Ursa, who knelt obediently in return. "We thank the God of the Universe and His servants the Spirits for their gifts," Da said, "and ask for safe passage up the cliff."

Disturbed, Ursa looked at her teacher.

Da only set her lips in a knowing smile as she swung a length of rope around her student.

"What are you doing?"

"Fitting you with a climbing harness."

"What?!"

"You're not an airbender are you?" Da laughed, snaking the rope about her pelvis and thighs until it was properly knotted and secure.

"Of course not."

"Well then how else do you propose we gather the antibiotics?" And Da pointed a finger up at the corner of the cave. There, nestled against the side and the roof of the temple, lay a green and gray garden of mushrooms and jagged fungus.

It covered nearly the whole roof. Ursa took a deep breath. If only Nera could see this. "I've never seen so much of it in one place. It costs a fortune in the Fire Nation!"

"Well here it could cost you your life," Da laughed and she gave a final sharp tug on Ursa's harness, attaching it to a carabineer. Ursa gasped in response. "It'll loosen when you climb," Da assured. "Just follow my lead, don't look down, and don't move up unless you have a good foothold. "

Ursa watched nervously as Da climbed onto the feet of the statue, placing chinks of iron into the lines of the statue's arrows and wherever time had left cracks. She attached Ursa to her harness with a length of rope.

It was a slow process, but eventually, the student followed the teacher, fitting her hands into the crevices of the mountain and the lines carved into the statue until they came to the fungus growing in the moist recesses of the roof.

They scraped dull blades against the stone, and the spores tumbled into the bags they'd brought with them. This done they ascended higher, and Da paused halfway up to point out the orange-purple rays of the fading day.

At length they reached the lip of the cliff which hid the Western Air Temple and the vast plain above it. A few bits of rock and ruin lay strewn about the plain. In the twilight rays they laid the harvest against these rocks for drying.

The two women lit a fire that warded off the darkness, but not the starlight, which soon danced in the heavens above them. Under the white moonbeam they spread their sleeping bags and sampled the last of their smoked fish. Da heated water for their tea.

When the work was done and the flames crackled beneath the steaming kettle, the two women began to speak. It seemed that there was something different or perhaps less between them; the callous and invisible wall that Da had put up was damaged. It shocked Ursa to know that Da could be a soft spoken, reflective, and compassionate woman. Perhaps it was the influence of the Spirits?

Or perhaps it was a something else.

"This Ozai, did you love him?"

The question came out of nowhere. They had been discussing antibiotics, and yet Da had slipped it in, right after they'd compared the macrolides to the penicillins.

Ursa's eyes fell. "I thought you didn't want to know about my past."

Da chuckled "I didn't. The problem is: I'm too good of a detective, and I already figured out who you _are_ princess, so now that that's ruined for me, I would like to know more about you. I think you would like to know more too."

Ursa cocked an eyebrow at her teacher.

Da hung her index fingers in the air and brought them together. "Knowing who you _are_ is it the same thing as you knowing _about yourself_." Da leaned in with a gentle smile and pointed a finger at Ursa. "I don't think you know about yourself yet."

"Excuse me?"

Laughing, Da stood and handed Ursa a piping cup of tea over the fire. "You can't care for anyone if you don't care for yourself first. So, let's start with this whole Ozai mess. Particularly: 'Did you love him?"

Ursa averted her eyes.

The gesture did not go unnoticed. "Now keep in mind there is no right or wrong answer to that question. I run across women all the time. Their husbands nearly kill them, rape them, threaten their children, and they still love them. So…are you one of those women?" Da's golden eyes fixed on her.

"No," Ursa answered, swallowing her tea uncomfortably. "I never loved him."

"Did you care for him in any way?"

Ursa scrunched down, gathering the blanket about her shoulders as she considered the flames of their fire. "It was an arranged marriage. I was one of the many noble girls brought before Ozai and Azulon. I was chosen because I could do this" and Ursa arched her wrist, displaying tiny jolts of white lightning that extended just inches from her fingers. "It was thought I would produce the best children…the best firebenders."

"Very unusual," Da noted, "normally it's the other way around. A firebender excels at fire and has trouble with lightning."

Ursa smiled uncomfortably. "When Ozai and I first met, I thought perhaps we could be friends, or have mutual respect for each other, but I never thought he would or even could love me. He was unusually cold, distant, and muted, even when his children were born. I gave up on finding love the minute I met him. " Ursa pressed the cup to her lips, hoping it would stifle her tears. She didn't realize that a few liquid beads had left her eyes.

"You did have two children by him."

Ursa looked at Da through the film in her eyes. "Yes, we were together enough for me to get pregnant, to continue his bloodline. He was very concerned about that. For a while, we did have a friendship, an awkward one, but that only lasted a few short years.

"It seemed that the more successful our Nation became in its war efforts, the more distant Ozai became. He seemed obsessed: with power, greatness," Ursa waved her hand in dismissal, "I always figured it was something I had done. If I had been a better wife in some way…"

"….he still would have been a scumbag."

Ursa shook her head, unsure whether she believed Da or not. "At any rate, a few years after Azula was born I started having pain in my stomach, and when I bled. By the time the doctor and I discovered the infection, it had already ravaged my womb. " Ursa paused for breath. Her tears were flowing freely, though she didn't digress into sobbing. "Ozai found out, and he said to me 'well what good are you now? '"

"Well, what good are you now?"

Ursa blinked a couple of times, unsure of what she just heard.

"What value do you place in yourself, Princess Ursa?" Da clarified. "Hopefully it would be some."

Ursa swallowed uncomfortably. "I don't know," she answered, looking down at her hands. For the first time in over a month, she thought she detected the faintest hint of red. "If you knew what I had done..."

"I would not judge you," Da Interrupted. "You see, to be an effective midwife, you must give yourself credit for the good you are capable of, and then when you believe you can do good, your actions will follow those beliefs. From what I've seen you are capable of much. You've gone from a life of royalty to one of poverty, touched a massacre, scaled a mountain, and survived a horrific marriage. It's sad," Da scoffed, shaking her head, "to think that every little girl dreams of marrying a prince and becoming a princess."

Ursa snorted. "It was more like a nightmare for me."

"Maybe they should dream about becoming a farmer's wife instead!" Da laughed.

Ursa stared into the fire. Whimsy fleeted across her eyes, "I would love to have lived like a farmer's wife."

Da's eyes widened excitedly. "All right then. You did!"

Ursa breathed a laugh "What?!"

"Not for real!" Da tossed a stick into the fire. "As part of your identity! Qiao Lan, the farmer's widow."

"Qiao Lan?"

Da rolled her eyes. "Well I could continue to call you 'Ursa,' that is if you have a death wish…"

"No, Qiao Lan," the princess said it slowly, "that's very pretty."

"It's a nice Earth Kingdom name; it means 'clever orchid.'" Da smirked; the fire had captured her attention as well. "My real name is Akako; as you probably know it means red, like the Fire Nation." Da's eyes hardened again. "Don't ever call me that," she said firmly. "It could mean death for us both."

"Thank you, Da," she said. "I like the name. It reminds me of…" Ursa stopped herself.

"Of what?"

Ursa looked away, hesitant to speak of Iroh.

Da yawned and waved her hand. "Never mind. You've divulged enough for tonight," she said as she lay against her sleeping bag. "Get some rest, Qiao Lan. We have to process that fungus into medicine tomorrow and then the day after that we have to get sailing. The Fire Nation waits for no woman, you know."

Indeed it didn't. They rose with the sun and set their grinding stones against the mushrooms. Transforming them into a fine powder they measured and set in little, tightly woven bags.

"A little known fact," Da told her as they finished their work, "you won't have to worry about shirshu tracking you when you have enough of the macrolides on you. Something about the antibiotics, their noses can't separate your scent from the medicine's." After handling the medication, they lowered it with a makeshift rope and pulley system from the mouth of the cliff onto the shelf of the temple below. Then they repelled down the mountain. Ostrich horses loaded, they guided them to where Da's ship was still anchored, adrift in the low ties of the morning.

Once loaded, they cast off into the midmorning surf. The waves greeted them, and Qiao Lan and her instructor watched the slate gray shoreline and hillside disappear into the mist. For days they sailed, watching the sky kiss the ocean and the dolphins dance in the surf. Midway into their trip the gales strengthened, propelling them north. Da and Qiao Lan scrambled for the rigging on the water tribe ship, letting the slack out on the sails. "You see there," Da noted as the blue sail billowed into the sky, "the air spirits are helping us."

"I hope you're right Da," Ursa said with a trembling voice.

Da caught her student's apprehension and followed Ursa's gaze. There in the distance were ten small black shadows riding the waves in tight formation. Da emptied her lungs and then breathed deeply through her nose. Mixed with the smell of the crisp seawater was just the tiniest hint of smoke.

**A/N Macrolides are a type of antibiotic used for pneumonia or for other conditions in people who are allergic to penicillin antibiotics. An example is azithromycin, AKA the "Z pack."**

**And yes, antibiotics are really made from different types of mold. Nasty, but true. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we return to the Ursroh romance. Long awaited I know but I promise it will be worth it. **

**A few other things: The next few chapters will involve women's health care. The next few after this will deal very frankly with sex. Not in the porn/lemon way but in the frank doctor's office, eighth grade health class kind of way. If there is something I think needs explaining I w ill put it at the end. **

**Anothr thing: I am modeling Da and Ursa after Mary Breckinridge. She is considered one of the great, if not the great founder of midlevel practice (meaning Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Nurse Anesthtatist) Any time you see one of these people, you have her to thank. She was famous for treating the poor in rural Kentucky amidst very harsh conditions, many times riding her horsethrough intense blizzards and waist high water in order to get to patients. I have included a link here for anyone who is interested in learning about her. women-of-the-hall/search-the-hall/details/2/26-Breckinridge**

Iroh's hands trembled as he untied the note in his red tent ashore of the Earth Kingdom.

He'd meant to read it earlier, but the communication from Ursa was precious and sparse, and his dedication to Zuko immense. There never seemed to be a perfect moment free from his nephew or intrusion until now, when they had started to erect their forward operating base, just a few hundred yards inland.

He noted the softness of the paper and the origami folds she had used, folds used to mimic the petals of a flower. It was something he taught her when she took ill shortly after Azula was born. He remembered coming to her room and seeing her still in bed with the curtains billowing into her chamber. He remembered her opening her eyes, and how she had smiled at him as he explained the art and took the simple paper flower with pale trembling hands.

He carefully undid the handiwork, and smiled when he read the lines. Midwifery; a noble profession and a needed one at that. He felt a stirring of pride, but a slight stab of fear. Why? he wondered before the need to read on became too great.

She wrote of her love for him to which Iroh smiled. He was afraid she might try to shoo him off or rationalize their love as pointless, given her low self-esteem and their difficult situation. Instead she explained how her mentor reminded her constantly of him, through no fault of the midwife's own, and that even the Earth Kingdom name she had chosen called upon their brief memories of that night before they said their goodbyes.

Whats more, Ursa explained that midwifery, at least as her mentor practiced it, required following the troops….

Iroh's heart did a variety of movements just then. It fluttered and soared; for a second it stopped and then sank only to speed up again. He took several deep breaths to slow it down.

Her next line confirmed his greatest hope and most prominent fear…that they could and very likely would be seeing each other again. Tears slipped from his eyes and he pressed the letter to his lips to catch her scent and her essence, which he knew was embedded in her printed word.

Then he did something he hadnn't done in quite a while. He removed a packet of ornate parchment from his vestments embossed with his generals seal. He carefully removed the seals, except from one paper. Then he made origami flowers, dozens of them, the exact same way he had so many years ago for the love of his life. He donned his long traveler's cloak and placed the paper sentiments on the inside of his breast pocket

The night air was crisp and balmy as he ventured outside of his tent. The troops were milling about outside, exchanging stories and sake, their voices thick with camaraderie as they enjoyed the evening.

Iroh left unnoticed as he took his ostrich horse and galloped it south, far from the Fire Nation camps into the dark of the forest. A couple of hours later he came to a village, an area he knew well. Only a few months before he had marched his troops past the tiny fishing village hugging the coastline on their way to the Fire Nation controlled harbor, and home. It was a well-traveled stop, but the war had devoured its men, leaving behind matriarchal families with women turned fishermen, farmers and prostitute in order to survive. He saw a few of the evening ladies loitering in the eaves of the main street as he passed. At any rate it was a fine stop for a couple of midwifes to make along her way. Lots of women would equal lots of business for Ursa and her teacher.

He passed the village until he was just outside the juniper and willow lined trail leading into the village. The trees bowed alongside the path, their arms wide and welcoming. Iroh halted a half a mile down the village road and placed one flower at the roots of a noble willow, and another one at eye level in its reaching arms.

The rest he peppered along the trail, leaving quarter miles in between them. He passed back through the village and a prostitute called out to him. He denied her offer but gave her some advice. "Two women will be here soon to take care of you. Let them."

The prostitute snickered "Take care of me? Sweetheart, you're lucky I like crazy clients…" She made a move to put her arms around him, but he politely stepped out of her embrace, smiling all the while.

"Two midwives," he explained further. "Go to see them when they come." He pressed a couple of gold coins into her hands along with one of his origami flowers, the one that contained the General's seal "Pay them with this."

The prostitute narrowed her eyes at the strange man. The shadows hid his features as he spoke. She had been drinking a little, but not enough to bring on this type of hallucination. "Who are you?"

The old General laughed softly. "I'm a friend." He turned to leave but then stopped with an afterthought. "You know, a couple of hours North, some fresh troops came in. Might be good business for you or your associates."

The prostitute looked down "I have a daughter," she said thickly. "I can't go," but when she looked up again the stranger was gone.

**# ****# # # ****#**

The blockade would be unnavigable. Da and Ursa both knew it. The rest would be by foot ; it was an inescapable truth . With all haste they scanned the shoreline and came across a lucky cove a few hundred feet down in which they meant to anchor, but actually wrecked.

"Great," Da remarked when she looked at the disheveled timber. "Rich and horny Water Tribesmen don't just come along every day you know."

Ursa blew a strand of hair from her eyes as she secured their antibiotics on Dragon and Da's Ostrich-horses. She wasn't particularly thrilled about the loss of Da's ship or the prospect of walking the rest of the way either, but it was what it was. Ursa was learning, slowly but surely not to cry over spilled milk "Well, let's start walking and maybe we'll meet a few. I haven't seen too many Water Tribe people. That is something I wouldn't mind."

Da smiled lecherously at her companion. "Damned right you wouldn't. Once you go Water Tribe, you never go back."

"I dare not ask what that means." Ursa gave a sharp tug on the strap holding Dragon's goods.

"Because?"

Ursa rolled her eyes at Da. "Because I know you'll tell me, and then I'll regret asking!"

Da didn't offer more information but came to her student's aid in securing the rest of the supplies and medication. The two animals were fully loaded, leaving no room for the women, which the two of them already knew would happen. They set their sights on the gloom of the forest a few hundred feet off shore and wandered into its depths before finding a spot in which to camp.

They decided against a fire in order to maintain a low profile. They wanted to clean up the Fire Nation's mess, not get caught in the wake of it, and there was no way to be sure where the troops were exactly until the morning.

So the two women made do with the moonlight and the moss. And as Ursa watched a few forest leaves dance in the night wind, she was lulled into a dream.

_Azula was about six months old when it happened, the creeping and burning pain that had remained silent in her uterus and then started to scream with fever and inexplicable throbbing pain. The doctors were treating her now with strong and expensive antibiotics, and it was probable that she would survive, but the likelihood of her ever having children again was slim. Ozai had declared her worthlessness the day of her diagnosis and not been to see her since. There in bed she had remained: suffering but ever silent…dutiful and proud, but somewhat dead and numb on the inside; such emotions made veritable defenses against her emotional pain._

_She remained in the bed for many days, fading in and out of consciousness, part of her wanting to die, the other part feeling guilty for wanting death in light of her children. It seemed as though her soul was floating, vacillating between the material and spiritual world. At times she heard the whispered voices of the servants and Nera as everyone debated her fate, but it all ran together, like a strange intangible dream or phantoms passing in and out of this dimension into their own._

_And then one morning she awoke with great clarity. She remembered the billowing red curtains that played in her open window, the vases of flowers brought in by servants, the crisp fall air creeping into her chambers, and an object lying still and listless on the stand beside her…an origami flower. Ursa reached out to finger it gently, marveling at the little craft and wondering who could have brought it. _

"_I thought you might enjoy something different__.__"_

_Ursa startled, and she drew the covers around her instinctively, for Iroh was sitting right beside her. He was younger then, his hair untouched with the gray hints it now sported, his shoulders square and thick even without the traditional armor. No matter how dressed he was however, many would have still considered it inappropriate for him to see her without servants nearby. Ursa was too woozy from her long bout with the infection to meditate on this, though a still small voice in the back of her mind told her he shouldn't be there. _

_And then, in a gesture that many would have considered even more inappropriate, he took her hands in his and showed her how to make a flower of her own. Had it really been necessary to hold her hands during the instruction? To touch her as much as he did? But at that time, Ursa had blamed her suspicions on grogginess and medication. Now she knew better._

Now Ursa's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she was aware of was the breeze dancing along the forest floor and the moss, soft and cool below her hands. She righted herself and looked around. She saw the willows and their sighing leaves moving in and out of the morning sunlight sweeping the trees' roots. And then she saw something else.

It was small and white and lying there plain and unassuming in the low branching arms of the willow. She approached the anomaly, and her breath caught in her throat. A paper origami flower.

Her disbelieving fingers had just grazed the fragile object when she heard Da's voice behind her. "Looks like someone lost a love note."

Ursa froze and swallowed thickly. She felt like child with her hand in the cookie jar, and she knew her face would betray the same feeling. For this reason, she was hesitant to turn. They had vowed to keep their love secret, from anyone, everyone…and now the proverbial cat was just about out of the bag.

"Well what are you waiting for, open it!" To Ursa's abject horror Da snatched the flower from her and shook open the folds.

Ursa held her breath, forgetting for a moment that they had used code names, but the sunlight only streamed through a blank piece of paper.

Da frowned. "Well that was a huge disappointment," Da grumbled, dropping the paper to the forest floor. "Oh well," she brightened. "Let's go treat some hookers!"

"Hookers?"

Da shrugged her shoulders "What?! They're people too! And they always have this!" She rubbed her fingers together to signify money. "As much as I love food, and I do, it's nice to get paid in cash from time to time, and the prostitutes always have it! Come on, get dressed. There's a town full of them down the way." Da turned to follow her own advice.

Meanwhile, Ursa watched the paper carried away by the wind, equally relieved and disappointed that it had been blank.

# # # #

Demoralization. It was not a tactic that Iroh agreed with, though he couldn't deny its effectiveness. It was also a fairly simple concept, though delicate in execution, and it was, in effect, their mission. It was a peacekeeping/occupational tactic, and Iroh hated that part of war. He was much better at strategy and actively taking land than holding it.

What demoralizing meant was keeping the subjective people subjective by effectively removing or diminishing their means of rebellion. It could mean weapons confiscation, tax collection, requiring male members of the family to join the Army, removing the benders, limiting access to supplies, or any number of things. The trick was 1) Creativity and 2.) Not to overdo it. The people were to remain subjective, not crushed, and it wasn't wise to anger your conquered enemy so completely that their hatred fed the very rebellion you were trying to avoid.

"We will be collecting a 10% or 5 gold piece tax on each family, but we will waive that for any family who gives us a member for our ranks. I believe we could use some more recruits."

Zhao was very much like Iroh remembered him, pompous, hotheaded, and willing to accomplish his goals through any methods necessary, be they dishonorable or otherwise. He was grieved, though not surprised, when Azula took a liking to him and remained at his side since his crew reunited with them at the forward operating base. He presently sat across from Iroh in at the breakfast fire, stroking his chin with one hand, holding a cup of tea with the other. He had recently pinned commander, and that accomplishment only amplified the distasteful attributes of his personality. Presently he was discussing the ideas for demoralization and how it might play out.

"You will not find too many around here I am afraid," Iroh remarked, sipping his tea as the fire cooked the breakfast eggs. "Not if it is the fishing village to the south you are talking about. I took my troops though there on our way back from Ba Sing Se. It's mostly women."

"Who says I was talking about men, Sir?" Zhao snarked, tossing Azula a sideways glance. "Women can be great killers when properly nourished, and if this place is all women like you say it is…well, what woman wouldn't want a better life? Our Army could give them that."

Iroh's eyes fell again to his niece, smiling ever so coldly beside her mentor. He was sure Zhao was nourishing many killer instincts in her. "There is nothing wrong with offering people opportunity; just be careful how you do it, Zhao. The mentality of these people; I doubt it is what you think."

Zhao inclined his head in what was meant as a gesture of respect. Instead it looked forced and insincere. "I will keep your recommendations in mind, Sir." He tossed the remainder of his tea into the fire, which hissed in protest. "Azula, let's go refine that speech of yours. If I feel that you're ready, I'll even let you deliver it to the troops before we march out."

Iroh bristled. "March out?" Iroh was not in control; he was only along as an advisor, but he didn't know the troops were actually going to move. He merely thought that Zhao was throwing ideas around at breakfast.

"Well, you said it yourself, Sir," Zhao returned. "That village to the south; it sounds like an ideal place. If the occupants there are not interested in my offer, then at the very least we could inform them of the new leadership in the Fire Nation."

And when Zhao turned Iroh was left to contemplate whether he should try to warn Ursa.

# # # #

"We have not shown our presence here in quite some time, not the true might of the Fire Nation as it was meant to be. Azulon was a glorious leader, but my father seeks to establish a better nation not only for himself but for all of us. We go into this land as lords and representatives; take care that you conduct yourselves as such, but do not be afraid to exert your power if the people become hostile. I trust that you all will make my family and your commanders proud."

Zhao smiled and stroked his sideburns thoughtfully as he regarded his young protégé'. He had decided to work with her first on public speaking, a good tool for a royal to have. So far he was convinced that Azula could make a fine Firelord; it was a tragedy that her birth order and sex would make it a little more difficult. Difficult, but not impossible; Ozai's ascent to the throne had proven that.

He crossed the floor in his tent to regard her and their eyes met. "Remember Azula to keep your shoulders back when you speak and raise your chin." He touched her, forcing her head upward. "Also, raise your voice. You are not talking to your brother or Uncle. You are talking to your subjects."

Azula's amber eyes focused on her instructor. They were unusually cold, he thought, for a child, but it was a useful quality in a princess. She would be one to take what she wanted and the nation could benefit from that. "Commander Zhao, if I am not yet good enough, I can stay here until I am. I can practice until…"

Zhao let out a little laugh, "I have no doubts Azula that you can be perfect, and we will get there in time. Right now, I just want the men to be able to hear you, and I want you to inspire them a little." He squatted down until he was eye level with her. "I believe you are ready to talk to a bunch of soldiers; we will just have to practice more before you can converse with kings." He touched her chin affectionately, "but we have plenty of time for that."

And so it was that Azula made her debut before a legion of 200 armed Fire Nation Soldiers, 20 of which were mounted on rhinos. After she made her intro, Zhao explained the details of his plan, while Iroh and Zuko watched from the sidelines.

Zuko could sense that something was off with his Uncle during the briefing . He was unusually tense and fidgety, but he didn't offer Zuko any details and the young man didn't have a clue how to ask the right questions.

Iroh wouldn't have answered him truthfully anyway.

# # # #

**Bonus points for anyone who can be my ****"****DR. House****"**** and figure out what disease struck Ursa in this chapter. Think: Unfaithful husband; that's your biggest clue**


	8. Chapter 8

**Some more women's health here. Tried to keep it on the non-technical side. Thanks for sticking with his story. I know my updates take a while, but it****'****s because I want to do this right. **

# # # #

"And how many clients do you see a day?" Da continued to question the young prostitute.

The harlot was green eyed, dark haired, and entirely too young and fidgety for her current line of work. She was also looking down at the floor entirely too much for Da's tastes.

"My eyes are up here," Da curtly reprimanded, "and answer me honestly. You're not in a morality pageant, darling, you're with a midwife. I need to know how much to give you, and if you're servicing half the Fire Nation Army I should probably give you a lot."

Ursa's heart melted as the girl looked back up at Da. She couldn't be more than 17, and her young eyes were full of shame.

"You should probably give me a lot then," the girl said quietly.

Da grabbed several bags worth of the antibiotics and a year's worth of birth prevention herbs and handed them to the girl. In return, the girl gave her several silver coins and a few copper ones also. "You take ten days' worth of the antibiotics and finish them all. I think you know the symptoms of Chlamydia well enough to self-diagnose by now, Pei Xwei. You need ten days 'worth every time they come on. I should be back through in six months' time if you need anything else."

Pei Xwei bowed and headed out the door.

And so it went, the whole two days that Da and Ursa were there. Da was right, most of the prostitutes paid in cash. The town's most affluent madam was an exception; she provided the midwives with a couple of rooms in which to run their clinic in return for treating several of her employees.

They also saw a few of the fishermen, or fisherwomen rather, though their exams were a lot simpler due to the nature of their work. Mostly, they suffered from back strain and sprain from hauling their nets up out of the water and tinkering with the rigging. Da wasn't especially good at musculoskeletal injuries, though she did have some pain medication that she could give, and she was gifted at setting shoulders that had fallen out of joint.

For one such case Da she guided Ursa's hands onto the right placement. Ursa was nervous; she knew the patient could feel her trembling hands against her skin.

"Now, just push hard and fast, exactly like I showed you."

The patient looked, wide eyed at the woman with her hands on her joints. "You haven't done this before?!" she squeaked.

"No, she's a student," Da answered. Then she yelled "NOW!" before the patient could twist out of Ursa's hold.

And when she pushed, hard and fast, Ursa felt the crack below her hands as Da said she would.

And so the days went. Injuries and STD's mostly, although there were a few pregnancies, which had come about through inappropriately used birth control. By the end of the fourth day, Da was letting Ursa take some women's health patients on her own.

When the older prostitute walked in with her young daughter in tow, Ursa didn't think anything of her or it. She had gotten over the shock of seeing all manner of women in this profession, and gained a healthy empathy, even a respect for them. In a world torn by war, one simply did what one had to do, and many of these women were mothers.

She sat the little girl down in a chair facing away with her doll while she invited the tall Earth Kingdom woman to get on top of one of the whore house beds they used as exam tables. Ursa noted that she smelled a little of Sake.

She took her history, her symptoms and finished what needed to be done with her. She gave her a year's worth of birth prevention herbs and then asked for payment. The woman dropped a large gold Fire Nation coin and a piece of folded paper into her hands.

Ursa looked down expecting to see paper money. Instead she saw an origami lotus lying in her hand below the weight of the gold coin.

Ursa slipped the gold into her pocket then undid the folds of the flower. The paper was blank but the letterhead was embossed with a Red Dragon. It was Iroh's General's letterhead. "Where did you get this?" Ursa asked her.

The prostitute shrugged. "Some crazy old guy gave it to me. He said I should pay you with it." Her green eyes looked evenly at Ursa. "He a friend of yours?"

Ursa's heart beat in her throat. "When did you see him?"

"Little less than a week ago," she hopped off bed, and put her hand out for her daughter who trotted obediently beside her. "He also said there were some troops up north that might bring me some good business, but," the harlot shrugged and motioned at her daughter, "I've got other commitments." The prostitute cocked an eyebrow at her tongue-tied midwife. I'm done here, right?"

Ursa shook herself out of her haze. "Yes, you may go. Da says we'll be back through in six months if you need anything."

"Good luck with your new career," the prostitute said cheerfully, then left with her child.

Ursa took the paper, redid the folds and then tucked it into her bosom. She'd had suspicions when she found the blank origami lotus in the woods, but this one with his own General's letterhead confirmed that Iroh was near. The knowledge brought a rush of emotions. She told her waiting patient she would be back and fled down the wide stairs of the whorehouse to a noodle vendor across the street where she purchased a steaming cup of Jasmine tea. She took a long swig off the cup, attempting to clear her head. She knew they were following the troops and that there was a possibility they could meet again, but it hadn't seemed like a concrete reality to her. For the longest time, she doubted it would be little more than a fantasy that danced through her dreams at night.

Suddenly she felt a tug on her cloak and whirled to see Da standing before her. The midwife's eyes were hard and determined as always, but there was a hit of fear in them. "You need to get back inside and finish with your patients, now."

"Im just taking a tea break…" Ursa chuckled.

Da placed her hand over the cup. "So take it inside," she said lowly and turned back toward the house. "I'll explain on the way."

By the time they reached the porch Ursa was shaking her head with disbelief. "I thought intelligence from the lotus people was never wrong."

Da ushered Ursa inside. Then after a furtive look through the double doors, slammed both of them shut and put her back to them. "I've never had one be wrong yet, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen," she exhaled and slumped to the floor.

Ursa joined her there. "How many soldiers are we talking about? It's probably just a scout regimen sent to do some trading or engage with the prostitutes."

Da put her head in her hands. "No. Jing, a trader I know came through earlier from that way. I was going to take my lunch with him before he told me of the news. He said that he came down on a road that winded through the hillside where he was able to see about 200 troops, 20 of which are mounted on rhinos. He said we have an hour at most. I don't know of a scout or trading unit who travels with that many armed rhinos." Da groaned. "It's like they are ready for battle not reconnaissance, and they were supposed to be going North, not South!"

"What should we do?"

Da didn't answer her. Instead she turned back to the crack in the door and opened it ever so slightly. Word about the incoming troops had spread very quickly. The noodle vendor Ursa had just patronized was closing up her cart, and the houses across the street were shuttering their windows. The only ones who seemed ambivalent or even excited about the incoming guests were the prostitutes, who rushed to the steps in front of Ursa and Da and started to loiter in the streets.

Da let out a sigh of frustration. "We're supposed to follow behind them, not be in the same place. Being in the same place is not good."

Ursa smiled at her. "Da, I often wonder what goes through your mind. What mess could two midwives possibly get themselves into with an army that is almost all male? If they were going to take anyone, it would be a surgeon or an orthopedist or at the very least a regular doctor…"

Da 's sharp eyes locked on Ursa's and she held a finger aloft for emphasis. "One would think." Then, out of the corner of her eye, Da caught a flash of white from Ursa's bosom. Before Ursa could protest or counter her quick grasp, the folded letterhead was in Da's hands.

She peeled away the white to reveal the embossed red Dragon. Her amber eyes took on a faraway look, as though she were lost in a memory. "Where did you get this?"

Ursa swallowed. "From my last patient."

BANG! BANG! BANG! Before Da could interrogate her further, a young soldier was at the door and demanding entry.

"We're all full of syphilis!" Da shouted at him. "All the clean whores are down at the steps! Take your pick from them and come back when we've finished our medicine."

"We're not here for that," the soldier grumbled in reply, and shoved a note through the door.

It was a summons. It read:

_Greetings Earth Kingdom residents of the Fire Nation_

_The Fire Nation requires you to atttend a summons in the town square at 1400 hours today whereupon the representatives of the new Firelord Ozai will explain the tax laws and other expectations for his rule. The officers of the Fire Nation Army and Navy will also be present to discuss career opportunities available for those unable to pay the tax or who are interested in seeking a better life. _

_Those not at the summons will be considered in violation of the law and punished appropriately._

_Most Sincerely,_

_The Commanding Officers of the Fire Nation Forces_

# # # # #

Zuko clung to Iroh as he heard his sister deliver the speech that started their two hour march to the south. She did it so perfectly that it was chilling. Really, everything about his sister chilled him. Azula had an unnatural and icy quality about her that Zuko couldn't put his finger on, a quality that compelled her to do things that went far beyond the normal sibling rivalry.

And her exact delivery only reminded Zuko all the more of her chilling declaration that Uncle had almost been murdered.

He dared not utter it to anyone, not any of the men, not the other commanders and certainly not to Uncle. He worried that he might pick the wrong officer; even Azula couldn't name who it was for sure.

Thus, friendly faces became menacing, and Zuko became a little paranoid. This compelled him to hang out by Iroh's side all the more. If he was a fixture in Iroh's life, he was a fungus now.

One night, Zuko had fallen asleep inside of his Uncle's tent after they had played Pai Sho for hours and found him gone. He looked around, wondering where Iroh had gone, and when he didn't return Zuko feared the worst.

Toward the end of the night, when the first rays of sunlight were beginning to creep up over the horizon, Zuko had worked himself into a frenzy he had fully convinced himself that Iroh was dead. Zuko had crept onto his uncle's chair where he had laid his robe, clung to it, and wept bitterly.

When Iroh returned less than an hour later, he found the boy like that, sobbing uncontrollably.

Iroh had walked in on the weeping boy. "Zuko, what is wrong?"

Zuko's head bolted upright and he ran into Iroh's arms. "I thought something had happened to you, Uncle!"

Iroh laughed. "Why would it? I'm fine I'm right here!"

Zuko only squeezed his Uncle all the more. "But everyone I love leaves me."

Iroh pressed Zuko into his chest to keep him from seeing his own tears. There were many times he felt the same way. Long ago, his wife, then Lu Ten, and now Ursa. For the longest time Iroh just hugged him back, choking on his own tears.

Therefore over the next few days Iroh decided not to leave the boy's sight. There was also another reason for this, though Iroh didn't want to admit it to him. Zuko provided him with comfort from his own fears; Iroh was afraid of many things going into this mission.

Iroh was afraid of how his men may be directed to handle the inhabitants of that town. He was afraid these teachings would undo everything he had ever taught them about honor in battle.

Iroh was afraid he may not be able to control Zhao. The commander had a vision for the inhabitants of that town, and if they didn't follow it they would pay heavily. Iroh wanted to make sure that the form of payment stayed cash. His temper had the worst of reputations, though all of his missions had been executed with brilliance until that point.

Iroh was afraid that he would have to guard Zuko's eyes during the mission if all of his previous fears came to fruition.

Still, if given the choice between Zuko seeing his realized fears and his nephew missing out on the march, he much preferred the former. Zuko was young, but it was never too early to try to understand a war as complicated as this one. Even with all of his years and experience, Iroh didn't understand it. Zuko would certainly need a head start and even bad behavior could be used as good reference material.

The march took quite some time, much longer than Iroh's solo trek to the village had the other night. Thankfully Iroh and Zuko had a rhino to help them across the land. When they arrived at long last in the village, most of the residents were already gathered.

Iroh stood off to the side with Zuko, dutifully scanning the crowd. He knew Ursa was there. She had to be.

# # # # #


End file.
